Understanding cyberbullying: Hannah Arendt’s public-private-social distinctions and online communication

ABSTRACT

This paper asks, “How might Hannah Arendt guide an understanding of cyberbullying attentive to its implications for the public, private, and social realms of contemporary life?” Arendt’s philosophical distinctions can guide understandings of cyberbullying and response strategies that can constructively shape user communication in cyberspace. This paper contends that attentiveness to public and private differentiations can supply a background that informs foreground communication in online contexts that mitigate instances of cyberbullying. The paper first examines the ways in which cyberspace changes interpersonal communication in public and private life. Next, the paper identifies response strategies to cyberbullying from the field of communication, including corporate/institutional cyber discourse, regulatory mechanisms, and bystander intervention. Third, the paper turns to Arendt and theorists extending her work to understand the communication constituting private, public, and social spheres. The paper concludes with implications from the study grounded in the contention that Arendt’s vita contemplativa can act as an antecedent to the vita activa – contemplation and reflection should accompany action to ensure that communication is thoughtful.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.