Is Cyberbullying All That Goes 'Over the Line' When Kids are Online?

This story originally appeared in The Conversation.

In a TED talk this past spring, watched by over six million viewers, Monica Lewinsky called herself “Patient Zero” of cyber-fueled bullying and shaming.

When this “scandal” unfolded, the concept of internet-enabled public shaming was relatively unprecedented. And Lewinsky’s case certainly brought the epidemic threat of digital social networks into public consciousness.

Today, those born in 1998, the year that the world learned of Lewinsky and Bill Clinton’s affair, are in their teen years. And for them, the concept of internet-induced shaming is hardly new.

Today’s kids are connected to, through and within the digital world as never before – 88% of American teens aged 13-17 have access to a mobile phone and 73% have access to smartphones. About 92% are on the internet every day. This means that adolescents have unprecedented opportunities to create, connect and investigate digital social media.

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