Cyber-harassment is a scourge that young people often face. If social networks are often questioned, Michelle Gilbert, specialist in subjects around the protection of young people on social platforms, says that they are not the source of the problem.
Cyber-harassment is increasing everywhere in the world, France is the second country which experiences the highest increase compared to 2018. Indeed, 62% of French people have already been victims of cyber-harassment. Unfortunately, this phenomenon gained momentum during confinement, which was established to stem the coronavirus pandemic.
Cyber-harassment particularly affects women, especially with the revenge porn, but also adolescents. Is it really the fault of social networks? Michelle Gilbert, a digital mom Franco-American assures us that no! Communication director Facebook in Southern Europe and specialist in matters around the protection of young people on social platforms, she explains that social networks, often singled out, are not the culprits. "These are problems that already existed that are found on social networks. Now, adolescents have access to digital tools that are more and more part of their life, more and more young. These are the same dangers as "we find in our real lives but now they are transposed on digital devices. We talk a lot about good or bad relationships, with digital we can get in touch with people and have unhappy experiences but it was not born with social media, not in this digital age. ", she says.
Young people better and better equipped to face cyber-harassment
Millennials feel more exposed than Generation Z, less worried about cyberbullying. For Michelle Gilbert, this is not surprising because young people understand better and better how social networks work and now have more tools to deal with this problem. Facebook and Instagram also protect minors. So, for example, you cannot find a minor's account by searching for it on the net. "Networks like Facebook and Instagram have put in place educational devices but also tools to be able to block unwanted content to protect young people and not share this content with the general public.", she points out. "There are so many tools that young and old can now have total control of their experience on the networks but it all starts with very good pedagogy and support about the right actions to adopt"she continues.
Show solutions rather than give in to fear
The mother of 4 children thinks that it is the role of parents to support and listen to young people but also from school. Indeed, it is in schools that the first experiences on social networks begin. "I think we should talk about solutions rather than being afraid by showing abominable cases. We must show the tools to the children so as not to get there. Thanks to reporting and partnership tools like with the association e -Childhood, we can stop the problem before it becomes one. ", she admits. "Children can be very cruel to each other, especially in college, but it is a social phenomenon that has nothing to do with social media. It is at this point that all the actors must be present, whether it be parents, teachers or associations that support young people. ", she insists.
According to Michelle Gilbert, it is important to reinforce support around cyber-harassment but also to teach civics to children. "It all starts with respect. Civility has to be found everywhere, at home, in the street, at school and on social media […] We have to show people that you can't hide behind a that's why Facebook is so attached to real identity. ", she specifies. It reveals that communication is very important in family but also between young people. She explains that very often a teenager publishes a photo without thinking that it could hurt the other. To solve the problem, it is usually enough to start a dialogue since in around 80% of cases, it will be resolved quickly this way. She then evokes the motto of "think before you share" noting that it is as useful for adolescents as for adults.
How to deal with the problem of cyber-harassment?
First, a child victim of cyberbullying is likely to change behavior. It’s an unmistakable sign that should alert parents. "If a child no longer wants to go to school, if he no longer wants to speak with a friend, if he changes his behavior … There are signs that are different for each child but it is often a change behavioral that will alert parents or teachers. This is a sign that there is a problem and that we must start a dialogue with the child ", explains Michelle Gilbert.
Communication director Facebook firmly believe that dialogue should always be privileged in the face of prohibition. In the digital age, young people no longer have the same way of communicating as previous generations. It is therefore important that parents do not deprive them of this social bond and rather try to understand the situation.. Michelle Gilbert recommends building a relationship of trust and listening to solve the problem without judging.
It also encourages young people to talk to someone they trust, to have the courage to report violence whether one is a victim or a witness. "We are not alone, there are other people who are victims. Often, the executioners can be victims themselves, they are people who are suffering and ill in their skin. They also need to support. There are solutions. Not talking about it can increase the problem. Talking about it is killing the abscess. ", she says.
Build positive things through social media
Cyber-harassment is a reality, but social media and digital technology are not all bad news. On the contrary, they make it possible to create a social life, to engage, to build and to have a window on the world. They prove to be constructive and creative by offering new possibilities. Michelle Gilbert evokes in particular the example of Greta Thunberg who uses digital tools to make "move the planet ". "It is active, it is not passive, young people are building a social life. We can create links all over the world, intergenerational links. We can collaborate together even thousands of kilometers away", she recalls, denouncing the fact that the negative and extreme cases tend to erase all the positive sides of digital. She also cites the great initiatives that emerged on social networks during the confinement. "The first thing people did when they were confined was to help others", she concluded by inviting the world to change its vision of things for more positive.