Cyberbullying has become a social issue worldwide, leading many to choose suicide. For those whose ego thrives on envy and criticism, the internet provides an ideal bullying ground due to the anonymity it offers, making it difficult to identify the perpetrator.
However, those who engage in slander may think they are stating the truth, while others may not even realize they are committing slander. Some post maliciously because anonymity protects their identity, while others are swept up in the surrounding vitriol or lack the empathy due to personality disorders.
In Japan, a major internet company mandated mobile phone number registration for users wishing to comment. As a result, the number of users subject to posting suspension decreased by 56%, and cautionary messages during posting dropped by 22%.
Another example in Japan showed that when a certain NPO informed users who were slandering them that their comments were being recorded and monitored, 90% of the slander ceased.
Research by an American entrepreneur showed that adolescents aged 12 to 18 are 40% more likely to post maliciously compared to other age groups. This is because the prefrontal cortex, which governs self-control, is the last part of the brain to develop, continuing until age 25. Therefore, young people often post impulsively and indiscriminately. To counter this, the entrepreneur developed an app that alerts young users about to post slander with a message, "This aggressive message will hurt someone. Do you really want to post it?" Using this app, the incidence of young people posting aggressive messages dropped from 71.4% to 4.6%.
These examples suggest that notifying users of cautionary messages before posting and making the poster’s identity known can reduce slander. However, there will still be those who engage in slander.
On another note, in a monetary society, efforts to remove slander posted on foreign company websites often face delays or refusal based on the company's arguments. In Prout Village, where there are no such companies or national borders, the following universal rules are established to address cyberbullying issues:
- Websites with posting or commenting features must require user personal ID registration and include a mandatory reporting function to the user's local 5th Town assembly. Operators of websites without these features, and users who post or comment there, are considered illegal and subject to action.
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