New Emoji and Ad Council Campaign Aims to Support Victims of Cyberbullying

You might've noticed some new emojis on your phone. One seemingly odd emoji that can be described as an eye within a speech bubble is being rolled out for a very special purpose: an outlet to let victims of cyberbullying know they are not alone.

The idea is, a person (or more specifically, a teen) will message friends or strangers encountered on social media who've been bullied on social media as a means of solidarity with the bullied victim. 

According to a 2013 CDC survey, nearly 15% of American students have undergone some sort of cyberbullying. Stories of teen depression, and even suicide as a direct effect of cyberbullying come around far too often nowadays. This all begs the question, how effective can the use of an emoji be in combating cyberbullies? After all, many emojis are used simply as throwaway text to emphasize a thought (or to order pizza?). 

Truth is, as well-intentioned as the new emoji is, cyberbullying and social media shaming are here to stay. How can social media platforms, which allow users to produce their own content or thoughts for others to see, become content editors — or comment moderators? Unfortunately, they cannot (yet?). Facebook does have a system for dealing with content that has been flagged or reported (and a complicated infographic to boot) and most importantly the AdCouncil has started a new program entitled #IAmAWitness to help spread awareness about cyberbullying. Hopefully, this new program will go a long way in the prevention of cyberbullying.