What is cyberbullying by notifications?

Definition (Saturation Harassment)

Cyberbullying by notifications, sometimes called "bombing", is a form of harassment that uses saturation and repetition as its main weapon.

It consists of the massive and incessant sending of messages, notifications or tags to the victim, with the aim of collapsing his or her device and destroying his or her peace of mind.

The content of individual messages may be trivial or even neutral (a simple "hello", an emoji, or just stickers), but the harassment lies in the overwhelming volume.

The aggressor, often coordinated with a group, floods the victim's phone or accounts.

The victim's device keeps vibrating or ringing, preventing them from using it for anything else and creating a state of anxiety and panic.

It's a demonstration of power: "We can invade your private space anytime we want and you can't stop us."

Saturation Tactics

There are several ways to execute this harassment.

The simplest is "message bombing": the aggressor (or a group) sends hundreds of WhatsApp messages or direct messages in a few minutes. Another tactic is "mass tagging" on social networks.

The aggressor uploads a post (often empty or meaningless) and tags the victim dozens of times in the comments, generating a notification for each tag.

A more advanced technique is the use of scripts or bots (although less common among minors) to automate the sending of messages.

There is also "group hijacking": the victim is added to a chat group created specifically to harass her and, every time she leaves, she is immediately added back, while the rest of the members insult her or simply bombard her with messages.

It's a form of harassment that feels like being trapped in a room full of noise.

The Psychological Impact (Invasion and Anxiety)

The impact of this tactic is primarily psychological and centers on the violation of personal space.

The smartphone is an intimate object, and notification harassment turns it into a source of stress and a weapon in the hands of the aggressor.

The victim feels that his refuge (his room, his home) has been invaded. This generates extreme anxiety; every vibration or ringing of the phone causes a startle.

The victim may develop a fear of her own devices, leading her to turn them off.

This, in turn,