The internet has become part and parcel of everyday life. It is an amazing tool that facilitates our lives so much. The younger generations keep picking up technology at a rate that is phenomenal. An experiment in Africa shows just how much, 40 tablets without instructions were distributed at a village. Within a week, the kids in the village were teaching the donors new tricks with them.

Connectivity is also a wonderful thing. Families can keep in touch from afar using applications that allow video phone calls over the internet.

Social networks have also become interwoven in our social fabric – nearly everyone has a Facebook account and most people do put them to good use.

But there is also a very dark and sinister side to the internet. While the loss of a young life is always to be mourned, perhaps there is at least one good thing that came out of the whole tragedy in Dingli. Awareness has been raised.

In the past, families used to be warned of the dangers of over exposure on the internet, and we thought it was all under control. Well it very clearly is not. We are not writing this piece to judge anyone. What we are doing is trying to show people – most particularly parents, that they need to get up to speed on what goes on in cyberspace.

It is absolutely impossible to police any websites. But what is possible is to keep up to date and be aware of what our children are doing online. We do not accept bullying in its traditional form, and it often only comes to light when a victim comes forward and shares what they have been subjected to.

But with cyber abuse, it’s different. Children and teenagers will often not come forward when they are abused online because they feel they have no one to turn to. It is very easy for them to close their door and be in their own little world that may sadly come crashing down if the internet trolls get onto them. As parents, it is our duty and responsibility to keep up with trends and know what young people are looking at and what sites they are on. Anonymity is a powerful thing. Young teenagers can hide behind that mask and unleash vicious tirades against anyone and anything. There is nothing to stop them from doing so.

Various researched articles have shown that internet trolls often have no idea that they are even causing a real person pain when they engage in such activities. It is only when they are brought face to face with their victims, that they realise what they have done. Some stories have shown that even adults have been subjected to horrible bullying by young teenagers... and that is the mask of cyber anonymity. It is a very murky secret that lies deep below the surface of the internet.