Gunston Middle School students Sophie Salazar and Meaghan Leahy earned second prize in the ‘Best Short Film– Youth’ category, titled “Cyberbullying Ends when Good Digital Citizenship Begins” at the AT&T Film Awards for a short film on digital bullying.

Bullying used to be solely confined to actual face-to-face confrontations with a person and didn’t carry over into someone’s personal life. However, in this digital age where anonymity reigns supreme and everyone is accessible all hours of the day on various social media outlets, bullying has become very prevalent online, especially among younger people who frequently use the internet.

Salazar and Leahy wanted to combat the cruel, offensive and insulting behaviors between their peers by creating a short film on ending cyberbullying through advocating for more ethical character online.

Salazar and Leahy won 2,000 dollars’ worth of camera equipment, and they also get the chance to hone their skills at a filmmaking workshop as a result of their second-place finish in the competition.