Cyberbullying – The Virtual Playground and the First Amendment
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Although sticks and stones may break your bones, names alone can still hurt you. New advancements in modern technology allow individuals to communicate virtually, where actual physical contact is unnecessary. In fact, as globalization of our economy continues, modern technology is developing and evolving at a rate that seems to be equivalent to the speed of light. Technology that is created today is seemingly obsolete by tomorrow. As technological devices such as personal computers and cellular phones become increasingly common possessions among students, bullying is moving beyond the physical space and into cyberspace. In fact, modern technology allows students to harass other students at any time and from any place, while often safely cloaked in a veil of anonymity.

As cyberbullying continues to create a new breed of problems among students, the dilemma of finding a workable solution is ever present; however, standing between the problem and its solution are several roadblocks. Among the obstacles to resolving the issue of cyberbullying is the right to speak freely, as guaranteed to all by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

First, let’s look at the concept of cyberbullying in more detail.