Moms Talk: How Do You Deal with Cyberbullies?

Many teens have access to the Internet and, in turn, to Facebook. The social networking site is popular among teens as a way to stay connected with their friends and family. It is estimated that 75 percent of teenagers use Facebook and check their pages up to 10 times a day.

NBC's The Today Show recently shed some light on a condition in teenagers called "Facebook depression." It is usually something that occurs in teens who already have symptoms of depression. The amount of Facebook friends they have, seeing friends tagged in pictures at events they weren’t invited to or being teased online can all have an impact on any teenager’s self-esteem.

For teens who already suffer from depression, such websites can make things even worse. Thirty-seven percent of teenagers who use Facebook have admitted they have made fun of a classmate online.

Online bullying can have fatal consequences, as seen in major news stories during the past few years. A college student committed suicide in public after a tape of him being intimate with another man was posted online. In another case, a high school girl  was harassed online to the point where she took her own life. While these stories are extreme, they are not isolated events.

Being teased seems to be a part of growing up, but cyberbullying takes things to an extreme level. In the days before the Internet, someone could say something to hurt your feelings and it would sting, but it was at that moment, and you got past it.

As a parent, what can you do to make sure your child isn’t hurting others or being hurt online?