Understanding and Correcting Online Bigotry
February 7, 2008 2:28 pm Social MediaOn a daily basis, many people are victimized due to their race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual preference, or merely their clothing style. We naturally have a predisposition to seek out people who are similar and familiar. When exposed to a person that doesn’t share the same value system or color, some people immediately reflect their animosity through facial expressions, gestures, and offensive banter. There are civil liberties put into place where people of different races are legally protected. Do these exist in the online world? Does racism exist on the internet?
I am currently extremely active in the online world. Not only am I a participant, I am also a contributor. My days and nights are spent online chatting with people I have never met in my life. I have established strong friendships with people around the world. Although I have never held any prejudices against Jews and Israelis as a Palestinian, it has been a wonderful experience bridging the gap that currently exists in the real world. Is the online world similar to the United Nations with people from different cultures working together?
Not all the social spaces offer a comfortable haven for people to share, exchange, and interact. On Digg, users often find comments of a racist and sexist nature. For example, a digg user submitted a story about a woman jailed in Saudi Arabia. The title is sensationalist and mocks the Muslim laws of the country. It received 935 diggs and 410 comments.
One disturbing comment in particular, “Those whacky mooslums,” received 43 positive votes! Not only are comments of that nature offensive and ignorant, they depict a world that we have struggled so hard to overcome. Many times I wonder if these people are really audacious in that respect. Perhaps they feel comfortable flexing their non-existent muscles because they are hiding behind a computer screen in their parent’s basement.
In order to combat these issues online, users can take the following steps:
- Bury submissions and comments that use racists or derogatory terms
- Report offensive material as spam
- Increase the number of blog posts that discuss this issue
- The community should encourage communication with people from different backgrounds
- Create an online code that strongly encourages human rights online
The real people in the online world bring their prejudice to the communities they belong to. However, if there is a strong enough brigade who shuns and demotes these people, would their muscles deflate? Can the community establish an internal code to ensure that everyone feels comfortable online?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Very thoughtful comments from a talented writer with heart and a strong voice. This post challenged me a bit, because I might not have stopped to notice that that digg post would be offensive, in the fast pace of the medium (I don’t remember seeing it on digg and don’t think I dugg it).
February 7th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
In writing online about Saudi Arabia over the past four years, I’ve certainly noticed the same thing. Reacting to the bigotry usually has very little if you approach it as a single, small voice against a cacophony of ignorance.
Instead, take the time to track down the blogger who posted the objectionable article and calmly state your objections, providing links to evidence that supports your side of the argument.
My posting here, for example, is because I think you erred in stating that the current flood of articles is about ‘mockery of the Islamic laws of the country’. It’s not. It’s about the way in which a small sector of Saudi society interprets those laws and creates a mockery of themselves and their fellow citizens.
While the Saudi religious police assume that a male and female together–if unmarried–are there for one and only one reason, most Saudis, including most of the government, assumes no such thing. In fact, the religious police act against the desires of the government to fully incorporate women into the workplace.
The story was initially reported in Saudi media, after all. It was only the following day that the international media got hold of it.
Another tactic to use when faced with stories like these is to grow a thicker skin. Thinking people are outnumbered by the unthinking masses. The masses, because the parrot rather than think, are always going to be saying stupid things that confirm their existing prejudices.
You may like to visit Crossroads Arabia to see how the Saudis themselves report excess done in their name and the name of Islam.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I spend alot of time on different forums and social bookmarking/networking sites.
I’ve noticed a same trend. Alot of people want to make comments about other races, just spiteful & hurtful comments. It amazes me that people will then follow it up and agree with them, by thumbing their comment up.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I agree. The anonymity of the internet allows people to be racists, jerks, etc. It’s crazy.
One of my articles about the new house designs for New Orleans ala Brad Pitt, and you’ll see many of the same racist statements.
I think the only way to deal with this is like you say, combat it, or to attach an identity to the person doing it.
It would be cool to have “To Catch a Commenter” kind of like “To Catch a Predator.” Go find them and confront them.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Very insightful post!
I believe the best way to combat racism and bigotry on the internet is to stop supporting the sites whose communities tolerate and/or endorse these forms of hatred.
For example, instead of posting your stories to Digg, why not give Mixx (mixx.com) a try?
I have been a fan and user of Mixx for almost four months now. The Mixx community is far more civil, mature and refined than those of Digg, Reddit, Fark and others. Racist stories and comments don’t get voted up at Mixx, and the community is quick to condemn such idiocy in the comment threads.
There will always be stupid people in the world, and the chances are that they’ll keep breeding. The thing to remember is that they are far less offensive when you don’t have to listen to them, read their remarks or otherwise make yourself aware of their existence.
If civilized society stops supporting the venues over which they communicate (i.e. Digg) the sites that harbor them will either start to crack down on their shenanigans or be put out of business.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Reem,
You beat me to it. I was going to write a blog post before to long covering the fact that Social Media can open you up to a whole new World of friends.
I was in the Marine Corps for over 9 years. During that time I have visited the Middle East, including Saudi, many times. I have always found the people there to be warm and hospitable. The Middle East as a whole is a beautiful land, rich with culture, art, amazing architecture, and great people.
People need to realize that, while you may have anonymity on the internet, you should still realize you are in a public place. Voicing racists comments is not something people would have the guts to do in say, a shopping mall. So why would you do it over the internet? I can answer that easily, because racists are gutless, spineless and unintelligent.
My feeling is, unless you have been to these places and can form an intelligent opinion of the people and the culture, then keep your mouth shut.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
[...] just came across an excellent post On Reim Abeidoh’s blog on this very subject. Reem asks: “The real people in the online [...]
February 17th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Great post! Although not sure your suggested fixes will work. In my opinion, they are merely hiding a bigger problem that exists within the offline world and is magnified in the online world because people can easily create fake identities or hide behind anonymous profiles.
I am African American and to see how much racism is out there, read the comments on any major blog when a black person is mentioned. Outrageous!
Most online users do not read blog comments or participate in forums. If they did, I think more people would have a better idea of how deep the prejudice and bigotry problem runs.
Not sure what the fix is, but I think it starts offline or elminates that ability to remain anonymous online.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
[...] be an underlying thread of respect. There is chatter in the blogosphere about this very idea (see Understnding and Correcting Online Bigotry), and I think its well worth more [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Great post, Reem. SilentJay is totally right, racists only vote in that way over the web b/c they’re so damn spineless.
I do have faith in the community though. Aren’t younger, more socially-minded social networkers generally more conscious about bigotry? Man i hope so.
Having grown up in a redneck town with many of the same challenges, I’ve managed to do well in a field where merit will actually overcome personal opinions. But your post is right on - i’m going to be really conscious about what i see over the coming months.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:50 am
[...] Understanding and correcting online bigotry http://www.reemabeidoh.com/social-media/understanding-and-correcting-online-bigotry [...]
March 17th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I wonder how many people that you meet every day are racist or prejudiced. It seems that social values and mores keep people from saying things they might think, while the anonymity of the internet allows them to vent to their heart’s content. To think it’s only social constraint that keeps people civil is a really sad thing. What other things would people do if they could get away with it? Robbery? Murder? I shudder to think.
This is not the case with me. I say what I think and feel whether online or in real life. Hence my online moniker of Honest Ape, I suppose. But I consider myself the exception, not the rule.
On XboxLive, for example, it’s impossible to play Halo without hearing some hate-filled person calling someone a fa**ot or a ni**er. And every time I tell someone to quit with the hate speak, I become the subject of ridicule.
I’m tempted to ignore such comments and just report them, but I can’t just let behavior like that go on without saying something. Even if it falls on deaf ears and brings me ridicule. What kind of person would I be otherwise?
Great article, Reem.