Anonymous - Because none of us are as cruel as all of us.

The picture of a man in a suit with no head or other visible body parts inspired me to look deeper into online bullying and the effects of user anonymity with regards to online bullying. The quote that follows the word "Anonymous" that states "None of us are as cruel as all of us" made me think of how humans act in groups. The fact that online bullying is present within a number of online communities is known by most people however, the solution to this issue has not been determined. A 2005 study stated that 94% of students have Internet access and one third of these students have reported being bullied. Being anonymous within online communities is seen as an important aspect as most people value their privacy and want to ensure security regarding all aspects of their private life. Anonymity is both encouraged and accepted online as very few people feel comfortable sharing personal information via the Internet. However, this valuable aspect of online communities is now becoming abused as Internet users are using anonymity to bully other users without repercussions.

            Another issue being seen with the idea of "anonymity" online is with regards to Internet users finding information on other people and sharing it on the web. An example of this was seen in an article that talked about a young girl that took her father's Porsche and ended up in a fatal car crash. Photos from the accident scene were leaked onto the Internet that in turn became a burden for the family as Internet users attached with these photos such tags as "spoiled rich girl deserved it". The family had to deal with phone calls and mail being sent to their house, such harassment was endured in a time of grieving for no apparent reason. Internet users are using the broad nature of the World Wide Web to attack and hurt others, but without anonymity can the Internet truly be considered safe?

A number of incidents such as the one provided above can be found and severity of these attacks can vary quite differently. Internet users are starting to hide behind screen names and avatars more and more in order to state their views and opinions that may be seen as racist, antagonistic, sexist, etc. Is it fair to say that people should not be able to continue with freedom of expression on the Internet due to incidents of online bullying or threats? One's freedom of speech or expression cannot be taken away and therefore there is little protection against online bullying at the present time.

            Some online communities have specific rules and terms of service that a user/member must follow in order to participate within the said community. Many of these rules include forbidden content that a member is not to post within a forum or any other forum of communication. I can relate to following rules within an online community when I participated within a discussion forum and online community regarding the television show Grey's Anatomy. I found that the rules that the users were to follow set a specific tone for the community in order to create cohesion and respect for all members as well as their ideas and opinions regarding the matter. Posts that included any threats, racist comments or anything of that nature would be removed immediately by moderators or administrators which I found helped ensure respectful debate and discussions between members. On top of ensuring a respectful tone this also prevents users from hiding behind anonymity and threatening or bullying other members regarding any type of content.

            Murphy (2007) stated that "The Net began in the late 1960s as a Cold War-era network that could deliver bare text messages even after a nuclear attack. No one worried about a way to authenticate where a message had begun or who had sent it." Anonymity has been a part of the World Wide Web since the beginning and users have come accustomed to keeping their personal information and private life separate from the activities they use the Internet for.

        Cyber bullying is an ever increasing problem within the current day society, especially as more and more people, including young adults and teenagers, are using the internet for daily activities. The video linked above is a great example of the effects of cyber bullying on young teens. This young boy was forced to move schools and suffered a great deal of harassment from his peers. With all the ways people can communicate now, cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging, etc. it is more likely that cyber bullying and harassment will spread further into the victim's life. In this particular video the issue of anonymity can also be seen as an instant message was sent to the young boy from a user he had no recollection of, on top of threatening and insulting instant messages the boy also received E-mails. Not only can this affect the security and safety of the boy and how he feels it is very devastating to his personal life.

            As discussed, the issues of cyber bullying and anonymity on the Internet have caused a number of problems for children as well as adults. One cannot say that being anonymous online has no perks however. Also one cannot say that anonymity online is not encouraged. Anonymity is very valued by most Internet users and more so for those who use the Internet for personal and private matters. As with most aspects of life there is good and bad that goes along, cyber bullying is an issue that must be deal with and taken seriously but it cannot be done through providing the information of anyone Internet user online.