We are living through a hyperconnected era of social media, and with it comes new rules and new tools. A new way of living that has permanently transformed our society, with a new world of work, entertainment, shopping, and communication. And sadly, for so many, that includes a new brand of abuse, bullying, and harm too; one no longer constrained by time or place, to become something someone can be subjected to anywhere, at anytime, and with complete anonymity. It can be devastating, even deadly, in entirely new ways. So, clearly, the world needs to change to recognise it – to recognise these new threats and protect those who are vulnerable from this new type of weapon. But, as it always seems to, such efforts are centered on women and girls, with endless pledges from politicians, cries from advocates, and challenges to tech providers, demanding to ‘keep women safe online’. Such goals are noble. But this wording would lead you to believe that men and boys are not at risk, or not nearly as much… So does this line up with the reality of online harms and cyberbullying? How and where are men and boys impacted? What does the data say? Well let’s take a look… ~ Pew Research 2021: https://tinyurl.com/4e2595d3 Cornel University Study 2024 https://tinyurl.com/3md5sype Images by Andras Vas, Wolihul Hasan, Frank Flores, Michael Maasen, and Amal S. #onlineharm #cyberbullying

2025-07-11