Masked on Instagram: Fake Profiles and the phenomenon of Cyberbullying in adolescents

Abstract

The cyberspace represents a significant and irreversible change in the general lifestyle of our society, specially for teenagers and young adults. Social media has a increasingly preponderant place in the process of socialization between teenagers, in which they design their lives and virtual relationships. Cyberbullying constitutes a form of online intimidation between equals, in which an individual or group of individuals uses and spreads defamatory information intentionally in order to bully or threaten another individual or group. In this research project, the goal is to analyze and show how cyberbullying behind fake profiles in social media affects high schoolers from Colegio Nuestra Señora de Luján in the city of Rosario, focusing in what Mill said about how it’s possible to consider suppressing real facts or arguments as limits of freedom of speech, incorrectly exposing the elements regarding this case, distorting an opinion. Fake profiles are a growing tool used by those who seek to harm others. This scientific paper relays on specific bibliographical references, on the opinion of students, the specialized view of professional educators and the testimonies of students victims of cyberbullying. As this is a recent issue, there weren’t any other previous studies in the chosen region, so this means it’s an opportunity to start the discussion around topics that weren’t taken into consideration before.