The tale of Tyler Clementi – the student who was outed as a homosexual on the Internet, and who eventually committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge – has once again brought up the issue of cyber-bullying and online harassment, particularly as social media was used publicly broadcast Tyler’s homosexuality.

Today, his tormentor, a 19-year-old teen named Dharun Ravi, is being indicted on charges of invasion of privacy (sex crimes), witness tampering, and evidence tampering, as well as of bias intimidation (hate crimes) through the use of social media. In an excellent report by the New Yorker, the story of Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi’s relationship unfolds to be one that may appear harmless as first, but ultimately evolves into a tragedy.

How has social media changed the way cyber-bullying is conducted online, and what are the implications as such for the industry, as well as for the victims?