Why more young Americans are cyber-bullying themselves

On a Friday night in 2016, Natalie Natividad, a 15-year-old in Hebbronville, took an overdose of pills after enduring months of cyber-bullying. Most of the alleged taunts(所谓的嘲弄)—that she was ugly, that she should kill herself—came on After School, an app    1     allows classmates to discuss one another anonymously(匿名地). Her act led to an investigation. The app’s operators tracked which accounts had sent the abuse, while officials interviewed teachers and students. “We just want some justice,” said Natalie’s sister. “     2     is bullying, I hope that they stop.”

There were no bullies to find. The inquiry revealed that Natalie     3    (send) the abusive messages to herself secretly. Such anonymous “digital self-harm” is increasingly common. But why do it?

Ana, a 20-year-old from Alabama, says she wanted to see     4     someone would stand up for her. At 14, she anonymously posted insults about her appearance to Ask. com, a public question-and-answer site. Then she waited for other people     5    (defend) her. Her motivations, to express self-loathing(厌恶) and to get a reaction, are some of the most common among children who abuse themselves online. In fact, over half of those     6    (interview) say digital self-harm achieved what they had hoped for.

However, much about digital self-harm is still poorly understood. Even the reason for its recent increase has puzzled researchers. Mr Hinduja guesses that the rise is related to increasing emotional instability among adolescents. That     7    (reflect) in a host of other online trends. Some young people turn to a less direct version — seeking out existing self-destructive content.     8     hint that they want a response by posting emotional confessions on social media in the hope that friends will comfort them.

As a technological matter, identifying digital self-harm is relatively easy. Usually this involves finding the computer or account that created the harmful material. The harder part is     9     to do after that, says Mr Patchin. Teachers and parents     10     treat digital self-harm as an indication of other underlying problems. The worst response, according to Ms Englander, would be to dismiss evidence of bullying simply because it might be faked.

Hard Labour

When James returned from the hospital after the birth of his son, he was surprised to find a bottle of whisky and some cans of beer on his doorstep. The mystery was soon solved. Under covid-19 rules, James was allowed into the hospital     1    his partner Annie was due to give birth only once active labour had begun.

Thirty-six hours after     2    (admit)for an induction(生产), Annie found herself on a delivery ward in the early hours of the morning desperately trying to wake up her sleeping husband by phone. When that failed, she resorted to ordering a delivery from a local store in the hope     3    the doorbell would prove more effective. In the event, he woke before the booze arrived.

James made it to the hospital on time and all went well.     4    have not been so lucky. “I’ve heard real horror stories of what women have had to face alone,     5    it’s awful news at a scan or going through a difficult birth     6    your partner there,” says Joeli Brearley of Pregnant Then Screwed, a campaign group. As Britain locked down in March, hospitals limited the number of visitors allowed on their premises(场所). Non-essential retail reopened in June, followed by pubs and restaurants in July, but tight restrictions     7    (remain)in place so far limiting access to maternity services and post-birth visits by new fathers. A petition(请愿书)calling for the rules     8    (loosen)across Britain has received over 440,000 signatures and the backing of 60 MPs.

The Royal College of Midwives, a trade union and professional body, acknowledges that “the support of a partner during scans and labour is important”, but argues that restricting access to some services means that “maternity teams     9    continue to deliver good-quality, safe care, protecting pregnant women and the midwives who care for them.” Others are     10    (convinced). “It’s important to remember that the vast majority of birth partners live with the woman giving birth,” says Jeremy Davies of the Fatherhood Institute, a think-tank. Evidence suggests the presence of partners leads to better medical outcomes, partly because it reduces stress and anxiety during birth.

A division of Walmart Inc., Sam’s club is the membership warehouse club solution for everyday living. Sam’s Club serves millions of members at SamsClub.com and almost 600 locations across the U. S. and Puerto Rico. Sam’s Club also has locations in Brazil, China and Mexico.

5 . The legend of the potential third runway at Heathrow, Britain’s largest airport, has been called the longest take-off in history. A commission in 1993 recommended expansion, and the government first favored the plan in 2003. But it was not until 2018 that the transport secretary finally gave the project the go ahead. A court of Appeal ruling in February 2020 that the runway was not compatible with Britain’s obligations under the Paris climate agreement of 2015 appeared to have finally spoiled the plans. But on December 16h the Supreme Court overturned that judgment and once more green-lit the project.

The initial Court of Appeal judgment found that the government’s decision to allow the expansion to go ahead was unlawful because Chris Grayling, then transport secretary, had failed to take the Paris agreement into account. While that was a blow to Heathrow, it helped get Boris Johnson’s government out of trouble. Mr. Johnson, whose own constituency (选民) is near the airport, has been a fierce critic of the expansion plans, famously pledging to protesters that he would “lie down with you in front of those bulldozers (推土机) and ... stop the construction.” The government chose not to appeal, but Heathrow did; and the Supreme Court decided that the government had taken Paris into account, and the Court of Appeal was therefore wrong.

Even so, the expansion may not go ahead. While the airline industry has long championed a third runway, much has changed since February 2020. British Airways, Heathrow’s largest customer, has become skeptical about the plans. Earlier this year Willie Walsh, the chief executive of BA’s parent company, argued that “it was a Herculean task (艰巨的任务) before COVID and I think it’s impossible now”. Although air travel will almost certainly rebound as social-distancing restrictions are eased in 2021, the industry is not expecting a quick recovery. The International Air Travel Association, a lobby group, expects that global spending on air travel will be about half of 2019 levels in 2021. Short-haul flights from Britain are expected to rise sharply as the vaccine is rolled out and consumers dash off to sunnier climes, but the outlook for longer-haul flights remains highly uncertain.

Analysts reckon the big unknown is the future of business travel. Firms that have grown accustomed to Zoom meetings may well be less keen to splash out on high-priced tickets from London to New York. Although business flyers account for only around 10% of transatlantic customer they pay ten to 12 times as much per ticket as economy passengers. A substantial fall in their numbers would mean large rises in ticket prices for the rest, which in turn would dent demand. If long-haul flight volumes remain depressed, then the business case for a third runway at Heathrow starts to look ropy. Boris Johnson is unlikely to have to prostrate (卧倒) himself in front of those bulldozers soon, if ever.

Young Chinese are rebelling against society through a simple act of resistance: lying down. Examples of the tangping, or "lying flat," way of life include not getting married, not having children, not buying a house or a car and refusing to work extra hours or     1     (hold) a job at all.

Tangping     2     (emerge) over the last few months as the rallying call of Chinese millennials who have had enough of the rat race. Some compare them to     3     1950s Beat Generation in the United States     4     call their behavior a form of nonviolent resistance or "ideological emancipation" from consumerism. Supporters portray it. struggle and endless striving. Critics say it is defeatist.     5     a rejection of struggle and endless striving Critics say it is defeatist.

Ultimately, observers say, tangping is a reflection of China's disenchanted (不抱幻想的) middleclass, faced with stagnant (停滞的) wages in increasingly expensive and competitive cities.

The term developed after an April post on the Tieba forum     6     the author, unemployed for the last two years, described a low—effort, low—cos lifestyle that consisted of working just a few months out of the year.

"Lying flat is my sophistic movement, " he wrote, referring to the Greek philosopher. Diogenes, who was known for living in a barrel. He posted a picture of himself lying in bed in the middle of the day with the curtains     7     (draw).

In the     8     (follow) weeks, a "lying flat" group on the online forum Douban surged to9, 000 members. Internet users identified     9     as ‘lying flatists, " posting photos of cats and seals lying on the back.

Experts say tangping is also a rejection of the attitude and behaviors—working and consuming—promoted by the government to keep the Chinese economy running. When Chinese officials announced loosened family—size limits to allow all couples to have up to three children, one comment went, "We are all thinking about how best to lie down     10     they are pushing us to reproduce."

No, You Were Not Happier Way Back Then

We sometimes get stuck thinking that everything was so much better, and easier, in the past. It's one of the tricks our minds play on us, especially when we are feeling vulnerable or overwhelmed.

However,     1     is it the case that things were "objectively" better in the past. Psychologists refer to this flawed thought pattern as rosy retrospection. It happens because when we think about the past, we are more likely to think about people, events, places, and things in the     2    . And, when we do so, we are more likely to focus on positive generalities than the unpleasant details.

Here's an example: If you think back to a holiday you had with your family say, five years ago, you're likely to remember the enjoyable conversations you had, the good food you ate, and the great family photos you were able to take. You're probably not going to remember how uncomfortable the couch was that you slept on for five nights     3    , how you had a cold for the entire trip, how your travel plans were     4     by bad weather, and, not to mention, how stressful it was being with your     5     family for a whole week.

In other words, the negative details about past events     6     out of our memory over 26 years while the positive aspects of our past experiences remain. It’s good that this happens, as it keeps us in a positive frame of mind in the present. In fact, people who tend to remember negative experiences more than positive ones are likely to exhibit mood disorders such as depression. In other words, rosy retrospection is a cognitive bias — but, like many cognitive biases, it is one     7     an important purpose.

It can, however, lead to mistakes in     8     decision-making. So it's always a good idea to approach our nostalgic (怀旧的) feelings with a healthy degree of caution.

Psychological research generally suggests that our best days are ahead of us, not behind, There searchers found that optimism was lowest in people's twenties, then rose gradually through people's thirties and forties,     9     in people's fifties, and gradually declining after that.

In other words, there's good evidence to suggest that your happiest days are still to come. And, even if they're not, it's still important to assume that they are. Don't     10     away from looking upon the past with a certain degree of fondness. But, for the same reason, don't use the past as an excuse to be unhappy in the present.

9 . Horrible imaginary themes in stories like Ready Player One. a science fiction film, represent the struggle between facing the real world and embracing a comforting illusion(幻觉). Some characters don't know that they're trapped in an artificial dream, while others knowingly choose fancy over reality.

In our digital age, this danger doesn't just exist in fiction. Whether we realize it or not, we're all becoming trapped in “filter bubbles” invisible mental cages built from our prejudices and desire for comfort.

We create this trap by doing things like exposing ourselves to politically-biased (偏见的) news and entertainment or surrounding ourselves with like-minded friends, Digital algorithms(算法)enhance our problem by learning what we like and filling our social media with opinion-confirming content. The result is a personalized daily environment that filters out contrary points of view.

We become fooled into believing that our opinions about complex issues are unquestionable. Meanwhile, the filter bubbles of those who disagree with us deceive them in the same way. This twisted view of reality weakens our thinking, damages our relationships and divides our societies. How can two people have a respectful open-minded discussion when they both believe that only a stupid or dishonest person would disagree with them?

Media algorithms are deepening our tendency to self-isolate by strengthening the false idea that our opinions are obviously true and moral. The internet is making us less like a global village and more like a sea of mental islands drifting further and further apart.

To get along with family, friends and fellow citizens, we must pop our filter bubbles. We can do this by developing meaningful relationships with people who think differently than us. This lets us experience the reality that people who believe “bad” things can be just as good and as intelligent as we are. We can also receive balanced information by consuming news and entertainment from different media.

Determining right from wrong is complicated. Living outside of our filter bubbles is less comfortable and takes effort, but the personal relational and societal benefits are rich.