OMU Science Café highlights growing threat of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying, one of the most pressing issues of the digital age, was discussed in the latest session of the Science Café talks organized by the Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Science Communication Office (BİO) with the support of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

Previously drawing attention with topics directly related to social life such as first aid, women’s employment in surgical instrument manufacturing, children driven to crime, combating addiction, and foster care, the Science Café series this time focused on the shared digital-age problem of cyberbullying.

The talk, held at the OMU Science Communication Office, featured OMU Addiction Prevention Application and Research Center Director Dr. Lecturer Alaattin Altın as the guest speaker.

During his presentation, Dr. Alaattin Altın addressed the definition and types of cyberbullying as well as its psychological and social impacts on young individuals. Emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety in digital environments, Altın stated that individuals should manage their digital footprints consciously and responsibly.

The effects of cyberbullying extend beyond the virtual world

Highlighting that cyberbullying is not merely a problem confined to digital environments, Dr. Altın said:

“Cyberbullying is the entirety of negative behaviors such as humiliation, slander, gossip, harassment, threats, exclusion, and intimidation carried out intentionally by an individual or group in digital and electronic environments in order to disturb or harm others. Although these actions may appear to take place in the virtual world, their effects and consequences are entirely real. They leave deep and lasting marks on the lives of victims.”

The event, which was open to all citizens and university students, concluded with an emphasis on the importance of increasing media literacy, promoting conscious internet use, and raising public awareness against cyberbullying.