Does media cause bullying

Answer 1

The media contributes to bullying, but doesn't directly cause it. Nobody in media is saying, "Hey, if you beat up 10 people and call them names, we will give you a free video game or a free pair of the latest sneakers."

Now, if advertisements are saying more or less that you are not worth anything unless you buy, wear, eat, use, think, or believe certain things, then some people will believe them. Children are quite impressionable, and they are rather passionate about what they want. So if the media is attacking certain people, and those people go to their school, then they may be primed to bully them. Advertisements play off of vulnerable people. Bullies are emotionally vulnerable and latch onto brand names to find meaning and to feel like that are a part of the in-group. The victims of bullying are also vulnerable, and if they get bullied enough for not having or wearing certain things, they eventually find a way to get them, and it helps the companies with the advertisements. So the companies behind the advertisements benefit from bullying.

Of course, the media isn't just the television, radio, and reading material. There is social media on the internet as well. While that doesn't directly cause bullying, it gives bullies a place to meet and organize, and provides another platform through which to bully.

There are also message boards and sites for self-expression (such as YouTube). While they don't cause bullying, they provide other ways to bully and make bullying easier.