“People think it’s a harmless joke”: young people’s understanding of the impact of technology, digital vulnerability and cyberbullying in the United Kingdom^*

Abstract

Young people’s technology use has increased exponentially over the last few years. To gain a deeper understanding of young peoples’ experiences of digital technology and cyberbullying, four focus groups were conducted with 29 11- to 15-year-olds recruited from two schools. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed three themes: impact of technology, vulnerability and cyberbullying. Technology was seen as a facilitator and a mechanism for maintaining social interactions. However, participants reported experiencing a conflict between the need to be sociable and the desire to maintain privacy. Cyberbullying was regarded as the actions of an anonymous coward who sought to disrupt social networks and acts should be distinguished from banter.

Keywords:

• Cyberbullying
• online vulnerability
• risk