The primary point of this article is to showcase just how detrimental online living can be. Content control features may prevent most cyber bullying from occurring, but it does not get down to the root of the source. Many label the victims as being overly sensitive which perpetuates a society that excuses cyber bullies from having to take responsibility for their actions in the cyber world. Not only are the victims of this abuse labeled as “weak,” but they are also subjected to exposure therapy without their knowledge. Having someone who has been diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) be subjected to this exposure therapy, unbeknownst to them, could cause severe damage to the psyche of the person and invoke lasting effects that are extremely destructive to the person’s sense of self. The article also goes into depth pertaining blocklists and the legalities involving them. The most prevalent online “cyber bully” is called Gamergate and they have done many things that go beyond cyber bullying and even extend into the real world. Gamergate can (and has) found addresses of their subjects homes and posted them online and has also threatened them via phone. A very prominent gamer, Zoe Quinn, is mentioned in the article about she has specifically been targeted and how women all over the world are specifically targeted to back down because of the image women are portrayed in in these video games. Another women that has been targeted by these cyber bullies, Anita Sarkeesian, is the founder of a female-dominated YouTube series called “Feminist Frequency” and is also the creator of “Tropes vs Women in Video Games,” has spoken aloud at an event the UN hosted to shed more light about the blatantly obvious misogynistic attitude towards women in the cyber realm. These key points are highlighted in this article to represent a very unique spectrum of cyber life that can (and has) taken its toll on many men and women alike. Content control features are valuable, yes, but they do not get to the root of the problem with cyber bullying. Content control features simply subdue what is already happening and they leave it up to the victim to experience discomfort first and then use them. Once these features are used, the only basic out for these victims is to simply disappear from the cyber realm altogether if they do not want to see or experience this type of online abuse.

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