Cyberbullying. It has to stop.

As children, we all had bullies — maybe it was that tall kid on the playground, or an older sibling. Maybe you bullied yourself. Whatever form it took, we all remember what it was like to be bullied as a kid.

But that’s just it. It’s kid stuff.

That’s not to say it’s acceptable to bully as children — it isn’t. But you know what I absolutely will not tolerate? Grown adults who bully, and even more so when they hide behind the impenetrable shield of technology. Cyberbullies.

I love Twitter (there, I said it). I think it’s a fun way to share a quick joke or piece of information. It’s crazy what people come up with in 140 characters.

But sometimes I’m disappointed.

First and foremost, social media is a tool that helps you connect to people and share information. Unfortunately, some people use that tool to attack others. They draw an invisible target on their victims’ backs through memes, destructive words and clever jokes. It’s public shaming.

Today in my media smarts class, Dr. Candi Carter Olson said that humans enjoy watching other humans receive punishment. Think of the Colosseum — yes, the Romans watched men fight to the death, but these men were criminals. Witch-burnings were always well-attended; who wouldn’t want to see justice inflicted on wicked women?

And when a student missteps or makes a tactless joke, we respond with silence — no applause. Which might be appropriate in the situation. But hey, why not take it a step further on social media?

This is when I would shake my finger and say, “Stop right there, mister.” Hands off your keyboard. Eyes off the screen. Now think — what good will this do?

Don’t shame — don’t post. Don’t bully — don’t tweet. Don’t be okay with it — don’t “favorite” or “like.”

Let’s put a stop to destructive behavior on social media and #StopCyberbullying.

— Brenna Kelly is a sophomore majoring in journalism, with minors in political science and multimedia. She mostly writes articles but occasionally tweets. Reach her at @bckelly8 or brennakelly818@gmail.com.