The pandemic has brought a hot topic back to the forefront of American youth-cyberbullying. With cyberbullying and the negative effects it has on adolescents’ psyche, eating disorders and mental disorders are on the rise. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of digital platforms, not just for personal use but for education purposes as well.

According to the L1ght, an organization that tracks online harassment, there has been a 70% increase in cyberbullying since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cyberbullying, or cyberharassment, is a form of bullying or harassment by using electronic means.

Cyberbullying started in the 1990s as internet-connected, personal computers became widely available on the consumer market. 

Incident rates have increased since then, with 92% of cyberbullying attacks now attributed to social media. 

The mind of anyone, no matter the age, is a fragile component 

and should not be tested.  

Many different factors can affect how people feel each day, and controllable or uncontrollable, these factors need to be revisited in order to keep people in check.  

Alongside being able to control COVID-19 and the many variants floating around by getting vaccines; the amount of tasks consumers allow to be added to their everyday life, like social media, can also be controlled. 

According to theconversation.com in a 2020 study, one-in-three students reported cyberbullying.  

Cyberbullying has affected many people, including students at Marlow High School. 

For the sake of the privacy of the students involved, their names and any other form of identification will not be mentioned. 

“I think cyberbullying happens because some people feel the need to put others down to make themselves feel good, but it’s still not okay,” stated one MHS student. “It is not okay to cyberbully, it’s cruel and makes people feel low about themselves.”  

With the students having to go virtual there have been less people to stand behind them, and unfortunately many of the school bullies have moved to the use of computers. 

“It affected me in a way that I thought of myself as not pretty or not smart,” continued the student. “It made me feel horrible, and my mind was in a dark place.” 

One of the many side effects of cyberbullying is eating disorders. 

According to website betterhelp.com, some people also develop eating disorders as a way of coping with stress or tragedy. 

Eating disorders can be a way of expressing power in seemingly powerless situations, but they can also be because of emotional disorders like anxiety and depression. 

There are different types of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and many others. 

Stated by website pressbooks.com, anorexia is seen in roughly 0.35% of all women and in roughly 0.1% of all men. 

Approximately 1% to 2% of all women will have anorexia at least once in their lifetime, while it is around .1% to .3% in men, according to the same article, “Statistics & Research on Eating Disorders. 

However, men make up approximately 25% of the anorexic population and have higher chances of dying from the disease due to getting treatment at later stages. 

There are many people who have had eating disorders, including another MHS anonymous student.

“I have bulimia, which is where you eat an abundance of food in a short amount of time, but after eating you make yourself throw it up,” explained the student. “When I was younger, I was always compared to skinnier girls, or skinnier family members, and this has always made me feel insecure about my weight starting from a young age.” 

COVID-19 has resulted in rises in various mental disorders, but Marlow High School will continue to encourage students to reach out for help when in need. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with any sort of mental disorder please contact Crisis Helpline by texting “HOME” to 741741.