The Internet is a generous source of information, commerce, entertainment and enlightenment. We share stories and pictures online. We cheer up our friends with encouraging messages. We read the news and share our opinions about the issues of the day. We watch funny videos and search for jobs, mates and music. Cyberspace is no longer a science fiction concept, but an alternate universe that exists in our reality, one that we can tap into at any time, from anywhere.

It is a wondrous place that has made our lives easy. Communications and interactions have been made easy as we are now able to communicate and interact with friends and family in far lands with ease and in real-time.

However, as in the real world, you will also find the corrupt and depraved. Thieves will try to steal your identity. Con artists will attempt to rob you of your affection and cash. And trolls will ambush you, intent on harming your sanity, your self-worth and your reputation.

Cyber harassment is just as bad as physical harassment. I fail to comprehend why some people feel it is alright to abuse, harass and stalk someone online and say all sorts of nasty things, usually things they wouldn’t say in your face.

The fact that the virtual world offers us with an opportunity to hide your identity, doesn’t give you the right to be rude online.

I have had a fair share of online harassment but I have learnt to ignore it. I try not to feed their egos. But, there are those who get affected by such acts because usually cyber bullies aim at destroying someone’s self-esteem and demean them. They usually call a person all sorts of names. One thing for sure is that these are usually attention-starved people who use the Internet to defame, harass and frighten. Their own lives are miserable and they work so hard to make everyone else’s life miserable. It’s quite easy to type an obscene word that it is to say it.

I would not tolerate such behaviour in person, and I am certainly not about to do so online. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

We all have the right to use the Internet for whatever business but certainly let us not use it to harass and intimidate others. There is a lot that one can do on Internet usually for free such as online courses at Cousera (https://www. coursera.org), read books and whole lot of other things that can change one’s life. Stop wasting your precious time with looking for who to harass instead, develop yourself on the cyberspace.

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