If you want to grow your brand, you know Instagram is the app for that. However, Instagram is also a platform dominated by people wanting fun. Instagram is a platform dominated by young adults, with over 60% of the people on the platform being 18-34. There is a smaller side, even younger, between 13-17, which is about 8%.
Minors on Instagram make up a small part of it, but they still play an essential role in driving the culture of the app. But Instagram can also be a dangerous place for minors. Besides the potential predators, cyberbullying is a big problem on the platform. Let's discuss more about cyberbullying and give you some tips to mitigate it if you or your children feel harassed.
What is Cyberbullying and Online Harassment?
These two terms intermingle, as they mean the same thing. Cyberbullying tends to focus on minors. Someone in school may be sent mean messages from their classmates about their appearance, beliefs, or for no good reason.
Online harassment is quite similar, but it's more centered around adult users. Feeling horrible because someone said something terrible about you is not just something that children and teens experience. Someone can start an online harassment campaign against you, which can have detrimental effects.
Some people believe that cyberbullying is something that you shouldn’t take seriously because it’s all online. They may see it as a phenomenon where all the person needs to do is close their laptop or turn off their phone, and it’s over.
But many people rely on the Internet for their daily lives, be it for work or socialization. Because of this, the idea of just turning off the computer may not be in the cards.
Cyberbullying on Instagram
In 2017, Instagram was one of the top platforms for cyberbullying. Since then, other youth-focused apps, like TikTok and Discord, have risen and given Instagram a run for its money. However, Instagram is still one of the most prominent places for this.
You can obtain Instagram Reel likes, increase your presence on the platform, and have many conversions on the site, but it also can invite some of the worst people out there to harass you.
There are several reasons why Instagram can be a hub for bullying.
- While the app's culture can encourage positive vibes and free expression, it has a darker side. Some people may bully others out of jealousy or due to projection. For example, if someone is jealous of another person's appearance, they may bully the person to make them feel better.
- Instagram is more anonymous than its Facebook counterpart. Users can create burner accounts with no names attached much more quickly. This can encourage cyberbullying.
- Because Instagram uses an algorithm, it may recommend content to cyber bullies that are perfect fodder for them.
How to Mitigate Cyberbullying on Instagram
If you or someone you love is a victim of cyberbullying, here are some ways to mitigate that.
Encourage Openness
If the cyberbullying victim is a child of yours, they may feel unsafe in telling you. They may worry that you'll judge them or that they will get in trouble. As a parent, you don't want to create this environment. Instead, if your child is being a victim of bullying, they should want to open up and talk to you about it.
Use Instagram’s Built-In Tools
One way to prevent cyberbullying is to use the many built-in tools the platform offers. Instagram takes cyberbullying seriously and implements filters to warn users if their comments violate the community guidelines. Users can report a user and then block them as well. Instagram also has custom filters where a user can hide certain words.
Of course, their moderation is not perfect. Many trolls can find their way around the filters and make new accounts should their original accounts be taken down.
Encourage Not to Respond Immediately
If someone leaves a hate comment, it is tempting to respond immediately with your own emotionally charged comment. However, this is what the bully wants. Most harassers are doing it to get a rise out of another person. If you feed the troll, they will want to harass you more.
The 30-Minute Rule
If your child sees a cyberbullying comment, they should wait about 30 minutes to respond to it. Tensions are high, and they may have even read the comment wrong. When they are ready, they can respond to the comment. They should ask the person calmly about what they said; perhaps it's a misunderstanding they can fix.
Take Screenshots
You want to gather evidence whenever your child is being a victim of cyberbullying. As a result, you should take screenshots and log when these comments were made. Doing so can help you if you need to report the comment.
Speak to Someone Who Can Help
If your child is being cyberbullied, don't be afraid to have them speak to someone who can help. One way they can speak to someone is by talking to a teacher or someone with authority. They may want to call a hotline if they are feeling depressed or want to self-harm.
Encourage a Break
Finally, while cyberbullying can be effective toward someone's mental health, the best way that they can fight back is to take a break. If needed, stay away from technology and do something different.
While some harassment campaigns will not go away from ignoring them, many cyberbullies are doing it to get a rise out of someone. If the person is not responding emotionally, the bullies may go to their next target.
Consider Monitoring Apps
Of course, trolls may escalate their harassment campaign, so monitor the situation carefully. If you see that your child is still the victim of cyberbullying, you may want to download a monitoring app. These apps can help you know where the harassment is coming from, and you can take steps to report it to the authorities.
Dealing with online harassment feels like rolling a boulder up the hill, but you can mitigate it with some strategy.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).