Racism on Social Media
How do you feel, what do you do… When you see hate online?
Thinking back to reflect forward…
Social media can be a place for us to connect, learn and support one another. But things can also get ugly, hateful, and hurtful. It can be a frightening, isolating place to find yourself in or witness, and the consequences can be devastating.
Have you ever seen someone say something hateful online that was hard to imagine face-to-face? Maybe someone voiced their misogynistic or homophobic beliefs and thought that was ok. How did this make you feel, and how might the victim have felt? What did you, or others do - and is there anything that you would change next time?
What is online hate - and why does it matter?
Hate speech on social media promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups, based on their race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation and more.
People say things online that they would never say in public, hiding behind anonymity. They find a place where their harmful ideas and beliefs become normalised, reinforced in echo chambers.
We see trolling from keyboard warriors, spreading clearly and overtly hateful messages.
Some may see memes and GIFs as innocent entertainment without considering how hurtful and damaging this ‘humour’ can be.
For individuals and groups, this has serious psychological consequences and contributes to real-world violence. And the problem is growing around the world.
Where are we at in fighting online hate, how do we decide who gets to say what?
Governments, social media corporations and regulators around the world are struggling to keep pace in their efforts to combat hate speech on social media, and responses have varied.
Some governments such as the US give social media corporations the power to enforce their own rules.
Other governments such as Germany can force corporations to remove content by a certain time. They have one of the toughest laws with fines of up to €50 million.
The UK is starting to look at the issue in terms of ‘duty of care’ - similar to how builders of roads need to ensure they are safe for people who use them.
Ultimately though, deciding what to censor, and how, has largely fallen to the small handful of corporations that control social media platforms. With the world now communicating through these platforms - one third of the world for example is on Facebook alone - there are serious, real-life consequences to their action or inaction.
How can we say no to racism on social media as a sports community?
Where social media companies and laws fall short, as a sporting community we can stand tall and strong in saying no to racism online. We can lead the way, and inspire others to follow.
Reach out, listen
Importantantly, we can surround a person experiencing racism with support online, and in person where possible - let them know that we care. When reaching out to someone who is struggling, R U OK? suggests asking if they’re ok, listening, encouraging action, and checking in.
Set the boundaries
We can talk to one another as a team and wider community and explore what is in our control, and be strong in setting the boundaries. These boundaries, ‘saying no’, can come in many forms.
We can call out online hate individually, collectively, and on team and organisational and sporting levels.
We can report someone’s behaviour - depending on the situation this might be to a community or professional team, a sporting association or a social media platform.
If you need support
If you experience racism on social media, know that you are not alone and that you are loved. Reach out to your team, your coach and club, your friends, your family, your teachers, the Reflect Forward community for support - we all have your back.
There are also lots of free, community services that you can call to chat and find support.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
DirectLine Victoria drug/alcohol counselling on 1800 888 236
MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
Yarning SafeNStrong on 1800 95 95 63
Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Headspace on 1800 650 890
ReachOut at au.reachout.com
Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774
HeadtoHelp on 1800 595 212
Brother to Brother on 1800 435 799
