Why is bullying such a problem in today's society?

You know, is it really today's society that has the problem, or has bullying already been a thing? I think the latter. I saw this episode of "Little House on the Prairie" once, and this guy was bullying the teacher to the point where she cried and had to dismiss the class. I know. It was pretty dramatic. Bullying is a way for certain people to feel empowered and more important. They get a sick satisfaction from putting others down, but that's not something that's a product of our age; it's something rooted in the human psyche. People blame the Internet, but it doesn't cause bullying, it merely facilitates it.