Is it really necessary to kill yourself over a few pixelated insults? When I wrote my dissertation, cyberbullying is not as serious a problem in the United States as it is made out to be, partly because there are simple solutions. As Dr. Patti Agaston says, “Suicide is a comprehensive, multiracial act that is the result of a combination of factors within any individual” (Magid 2). In all honesty, cyberbullying is a growing problem in the United States; however, when one person cyberbullies another, they look for factors (vulnerabilities) in the victim. Cyberbullying is using social media or an electronic device to harass another person. Different people experience cyberbullying, as Agaston suggests, "gay, lesbian, and transgender youth experience significantly higher rates of bullying" (Magid 2). Since people of different sexuality are not accepted by everyone, those who oppose homosexuality will most likely harass those of different sexuality. According to Larry Magid, “one in five adolescents have been the victim of cyberbullying at least once in their life in the last 30 days” (Magid 3). That's probably true, considering how many teens are on social media every day. Think about it, it makes sense. Sometimes children and teens commit suicide because of cyberbullying, but a lot of times... actually, most of the time they can deal with it on their own, they just don't know how. A number of tips for avoiding cyberbullying include not responding, not retaliating, and talking to an adult/peer about the situation. Seriously, the situation will only get worse if you direct the bullying back to the person who initiated it; don't do it. When you think about it, there are other ways to combat cyberbullying. It need not lead to self-h...... middle of paper...... to the nation by storm, thus making it something bigger than itself should not be. Works Cited Hinduja, Sameer, Ph.D and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D. "Summary of Research on Cyberbullying." Cyberbullying.us. Hinduja, S. and Patchin, J, 2007. Web.Magid, Larry. “Cyberbullying among students is serious, but it is not an epidemic.” Netiquette and online ethics. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Views. Rep. Excerpted from “Cyberbullying is a serious problem, but is it an epidemic? » Huffington Post. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Internet. February 24. 2014. Paulson, Amanda. “Rebecca Sedwick Suicide: Are Parents Responsible for Bullying Their Children?” » Christian Science Monitor October 16, 2013: N.PAG. MasterFILE Master Edition. Internet. March 8, 2014. Teitel, Emma. “The key to fighting online abuse: signature. » Maclean's 126.38 (2013):1. MasterFILE Master Edition. Internet. March 8. 2014.