In today’s generation people get on the internet with the flick of a hand. Whether it’s posting, texting, or scrolling on Tik Tok, there is always someone with something to say about it. Is shaming online starting to get out of control?

According to the Jerusalem Post, 4,972 middle school students between the ages of 12-17 took a survey in 2019. Out of these students 36.5% of them claimed to have felt bullied online. These numbers have doubled since a later survey from 2007. With the growth in technology and social media apps, it may be reasonable to say that those numbers have grown since the 2019 survey. Online shaming is not slowing down but only becoming more prevalent.

Alex Sprague, a junior, said, “ I do think that online shaming is getting out of control but it’s always going to happen and I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon.”

Online shaming continues because that is how many people gain followers, likes, etc. Many people use online shaming as their platform. They go online and judge other people for what they look like, what they wear, and how they act. People use this negative connotation to draw attention towards themselves. But, hey it’s alright as long as they are gaining attention right? Wrong! There’s not really a way to fix it other than people looking into themselves and asking themselves why they are hurting people for no reason online.

One negative remark online can turn into multiple remarks in seconds. As Mianna Cardenez, a junior, said, “ I do think it gets out of control because since it’s online everyone can repost or comment. Making it so that it isn’t just one person doing the shaming but instead there are multiple people shaming one person.”

Hope Vigneri, a sophomore, said, “ If people took the time to think before they talk then maybe online shaming wouldn’t be as big of a problem as it is now.”

Maybe online shaming is  a selfish way to gain likes or maybe it’s not all for attention. But, online shaming can really  hurt a person emotionally and physically.

The way someone is treated online can really affect the way that they view themselves and just a few kind words can really make someone’s day instead of tearing them down. So, when the next the thought of shaming someone intrudes take a moment to reflect on personal morals. Maybe even ask, “what if the roles were reversed?” Some people say it wouldn’t affect them until they are in that position.