discussion response

I think a real-world problem that social psychology could be used to address is bullying – both cyber and in person. To go out of your way to attack, judge, or harass another person is something that has gone on forever and continues to be a problem in both children and adults. I think that social psychology can be used to examine why people act the ways that they do; What causes these actions? Does it stem from personal insecurities? Do people feel as though they need to assert dominance over others in order to be taken seriously? Do people think that if they become the bully they are less likely to be the victim of bullying? I think that for so long the advice for dealing with bullies is simply either it will get better, ignore them and they will go away, or even they're just jealous. I think that to go deeper and to truly unpack why people treat others in such negative and toxic ways can be extremely beneficial to society. I think that studying bullying can begin at a young age, and possibly even follow the bullies as they get older to see how their aggressive tendencies show up in other ways whether it be lashing out at work, having unsuccessful romantic or personal relationships, and so on.