With teen suicide, depression and mental health issues steadily rising, is the cause simply exam stress or is it something much more sinister? With social media sites making anonymity an option; bullying has flourished like never before with 87% of teens having witnessed cyberbullying. Snapchat has become the latest platform used by cyberbullies as whatever is posted disappears after 10 seconds making it the perfect tool for bullies who wish to hide their identity. The latest trend affecting young people across the country is called ‘cover or show’ .
Cover or show is a ‘game’ where someone puts a snap on their story saying, ‘x for a cover a show’ someone will swipe up and the person who put the snap on the story will ask a question along the lines of 'who do you think is the prettiest, coolest, fittest, who are you closest to?' Or more maliciously ... 'who do you think is the ugliest, fakest, person you like the least' and other derogatory questions. The swiper replies with a name and says whether they want their name to be shown or covered.
This trend is hurtful to many people but when I interviewed students around my school who either took part or were victimized by it I was shocked at the clear difference in their views upon the subject (all interviewees wanted to remain anonymous.)
When asked how you would describe the game in one word perpetrators described it as ‘innocent’ and ‘stupid’ whereas victims said it was ‘disgusting’ and ‘bullying’. Transgressors describing their actions as innocent suggests they believe that because of the anonymity and the fact that what they say disappears after 24 hours, means that they do not have to take responsibility for their actions. Victims however, can be permanently damaged by the words said about them.
The most telling question I think was 'Do you consider it a form of cyberbullying?'.One of the perpetrators said ‘No it was just a game. It was stupid and people took it too seriously, they should have just laughed it off’ . This highlights how little thought was put into how the game would affect people’s self- esteem and how people are not educated enough on how harmful words can be. Teenagers nowadays have access to a wide range of places where they can publish what they wish, imagine how amazing it would be if we published things that could enrich our lives and empower people across the globe instead of insulting friends we see every day.
When looking at this issue it is hard to make the decision upon who made the error in judgement, was it the person who put it on their story, people who responded to the questions or even the social media platform itself. Isn't it about time we used our social media to inspire the lives of others instead of anonymous cyberbullying.
