Something I think is an important issue is bullying. I don’t think it is talked about enough, and there are so many sides to bullying.  In 30 days, 46 percent of students in Minnesota reported being bullied or harassed. 5 percent of those students reported that they were being bullied daily. That’s one state, and almost half reported being bullied.

       I think there are a lot of things that people don’t understand about bullying, I don’t know or understand everything, but I want to share what I do know and what I’ve learned from researching. Every single person on this planet is different. We all are unique in different ways. What we love and who we are is what makes us different. Sometimes people are being bullied for just being who they are. When someone is just being who they are and they're getting made fun of or bullied for it, it can have negative effects. 

       Bullying is so damaging, it can really hurt someone. Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience anxiety and other mental health issues, some that are ongoing into adulthood. Another common effect of bullying is skipping or missing school. If someone is constantly making mean comments to another person, it can make them feel really bad about themselves. Because of that they don’t feel motivated or excited to go to school. Missing school results in worse grades, which can create bigger problems. You never know what someone could be going through, and sometimes the people who are bullying others need help too. 

       I’m not saying that’s everyone, or that it’s ok, but it’s true at times. If we were all just a little bit nicer to each other, it could help just a little. There are multiple different kinds of bullying, one that is common right now is cyber bullying. Technology can be used in a lot of different ways positively, but this is definitely a negative side of it. Anyone can make an account on social media with a fake name, or birthday. 

       Millions of comments are posted everyday that are meant to tear people down, and make them feel bad about themselves. It can be just as damaging as in person bullying. It’s so much easier for people to make mean comments when they don’t have to show themselves and say it to someone’s face. Someone you trust could post a mean comment or video of you on the internet and you wouldn’t even know who it was. 

       90 percent of teenagers 13-17 years old have social media, 51 percent say they check social media daily. That’s a lot of people. When someone looks really happy in a video or photo they posted, that isn’t always the case. If they see a mean comment meant to make them feel bad about who they are, it could make them feel even worse when they’re already putting on a fake personality to please the internet. Cyber bullying can be just as bad as bullying. There are so many kind people in the world. We need to learn from them and spread kindness instead of hate. 

       Some people are bullied and no one even knows because they keep quiet about it, or hide it. Saying something nice or complimenting someone in that situation can make them feel so much better. There are ways to solve this cruel issue that so many are facing. The easiest solution is to treat everyone equally and with respect. That may not be able to stop bullying, but it can certainly help. If you are being bullied, talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be a big thing that everyone knows about, but maybe talking through it can help.

       Another thing that can help decrease bullying or cyberbullying is to really think about what you’re posting. If you wouldn’t want someone from your school or work seeing it, don’t post it. If what you are posting could have negative effects on someone or make them feel bad, don’t post it. There are schools that heavily monitor bullying, and there are ones that don’t. If all schools looked at it more closely, and helped students to resolve bullying, it could make change. If you have close friends, hang out with them if they make you feel good about yourself. People have become friends because they helped stand up for someone who was being bullied, and helped them through it.

       There is so much good in the world, and there is also bad. If you always look at the negative side, you won’t see the beautiful things in life.