New report reveals the US states and cities most affected by cyberbullying
A new study from leading online sleep retailer, MattressNextDay, reveals the US states and locations who are the most affected by cyberbullying in 2024.
Georgia ranks as the state with the highest levels of cyberbullying, followed by Nevada and Louisiana.
Senior sleep expert Martin Seeley and Emma Loker, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor reveal the profound impact that cyberbullying can have on sleep, highlighting how online harassment can lead to disrupted sleep patterns.
A new analysis conducted by MattressNextDay has highlighted the disturbing rise of cyberbullying across the United States and its significant impact on sleep and overall well being.
With at least 1 in 5 children in America experiencing some form of bullying each year*, and an increasing proportion of these incidents occurring online, the connection between cyberbullying and sleep disruption is becoming more evident.
By analyzing social media sentiment data on Brandwatch, MattressNextDay ranked all 50 states based on the prevalence of bullying, revealing where this issue is most severe and how it could be contributing to sleep disturbances among young people.
The top 25 worst states for cyberbullying:
Rank | State | Number of cyberbullying related key terms mentioned on social media in the last year | Number of cyberbullying related key terms online per 10,000 residents |
1 | Georgia | 4,571,445 | 4718.8 |
2 | Nevada | 1,000,848 | 3706.1 |
3 | Louisiana | 1,598,351 | 3525.7 |
4 | Florida | 6,224,881 | 3310.9 |
5 | Maryland | 1,885,953 | 3266.5 |
6 | Texas | 8,102,714 | 3222.3 |
7 | New York | 5,779,905 | 2982.7 |
8 | California | 8,656,829 | 2323.7 |
9 | Illinois | 2,935,401 | 2287.8 |
10 | Arizona | 1,429,887 | 2237.0 |
11 | Tennessee | 1,401,527 | 2208.5 |
12 | Colorado | 1,021,936 | 2032.0 |
13 | Michigan | 2,005,635 | 2029.2 |
14 | Virginia | 1,559,810 | 1949.5 |
15 | Pennsylvania | 2,424,857 | 1909.0 |
16 | Ohio | 2,165,616 | 1877.2 |
17 | Oregon | 711,913 | 1858.3 |
18 | New Jersey | 1,612,834 | 1834.5 |
19 | Alaska | 128,651 | 1811.4 |
20 | Missouri | 1,076,293 | 1797.1 |
21 | Massachusetts | 1,172,706 | 1791.0 |
22 | Hawaii | 214,337 | 1575.7 |
23 | North Carolina | 1,484,426 | 1556.7 |
24 | Washington | 1,017,634 | 1513.3 |
25 | Mississippi | 439,461 | 1481.0 |
Taking the top spot, Georgia leads with a staggering 4.57 million cyberbullying-related key terms mentioned on social media in the past year, equating to 4,718.8 mentions per 10,000 residents indicating a high concentration of online harassment in the state.
Nevada, despite having a significantly smaller population, also shows high levels of cyberbullying, with 3,706.1 mentions per 10,000 residents.
Louisiana, Florida, and Maryland follow closely, each with over 3,000 mentions per 10,000 residents.
Notably, Florida, one of the most populous states, recorded the highest total number of mentions at 6.22 million, highlighting the widespread nature of the issue in this region.
Cyberbullying’s Impact on Sleep
Commenting on the study, Emma Loker, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Founder of MindWrite, discusses the affect cyberbullying has on sleep, emphasizing how online harassment can lead to heightened anxiety.
“Cyberbullying isn’t a small concern that can simply be swept under the rug. For the last decade, experts have considered cyberbullying an international public health concern.
She adds, “Perhaps the most concerning problem with cyberbullying is that it causes adolescents to internalize their issues. For example, they develop negative affective disorders such as major depression. They are also likely to struggle with intense anxiety, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, and physical symptoms associated with these mental health issues.”
“Experiencing these feelings while the brain is going through such an intense period of change can be extremely damaging for young people, not only during this stage but into adulthood,” she continues.
MattressNextDay’s Senior Sleep Expert, Martin Seeley also emphasizes the connection between cyberbullying and sleep disruption.
“Among the many detrimental impacts that cyberbullying can have on children, one of the most serious is the increased levels of anxiety it can cause. This in turn can make it that much harder for children to get a good night’s sleep, heightening stress and anxiety levels further and potentially having a detrimental impact on their mental health.
He adds, “Getting enough sleep when you’re young is very important, and irregular sleeping patterns can cause severe disruptions in our circadian rhythms and reduce daytime alertness by as much as 32%.”
“All of this can further exacerbate the stress caused by cyberbullying while also impacting a child’s school and social life so raising awareness around cyberbullying and its many other impacts crucially important so that we can all sleep more soundly at night.
If you want to see where your US state and city ranked, you can view the full study here: https://www.mattressnextday.co.uk/snooze-news/post/sleepless-states-cyberbullyings-impact-on-sleep
Sources
Emma Loker, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Founder of MindWrite, a mental health writing agency
Methodology
Using Brandwatch, we analysed words associated with bullying or being mean to reveal where in the US has the most bullies.
This data was then divided by population to reveal the average number of comments made online per 10,000 residents.
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