The Wild West of Anonymous Social Media - YikYak

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

The Global Institute for Cyber Safety and Standards

The relatively new social media App known as YikYak has been mired with controversy nearly since it began. Known as the “Wild West of anonymous social media,” this App allows users to send and receive anonymous messages to others within a 10 mile radius – perfect for campuses such as universities which is where it now thrives. Despite architects of the medium providing “geo-fencing” for most middle and high schools from using the App, it remains wildly popular, particularly on university grounds. 

YikYak claims to use extensive filtering techniques to screen out inappropriate words and content, including offensive slurs, threats, and now even pictures of people, however despite this much hurtful damaging content continues to get through. Consider the recent case out of the United States at Eastern Michigan University where several female professors unknowingly were the brunt of a storm of vicious demeaning comments among freshmen students enrolled in their classes. According to the university, there is no recourse due to the complete anonymity of the perpetrators, a characteristic trademark of the App.  

Simply bannig the use of YikYak would seem a logical combatant to the problem. This has unfortunately proven to be rather difficult as the argument of free speech rears its ugly head. In fact, it shows no sign of slowing down but instead is experiencing explosive growth and is crossing into the borders of other countries including the UK. Based on negative reactions of many as a result of YikYak use, its reputation precedes itself and is finding keen resistance particularly from British educational institutions albeit this appears to be of no matter.  The new social media is proving to be unstoppable in its popularity with the younger generation and along with that come increased risks.

Ending A Climate of Apathy

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

The Global Institute for Cyber Safety and Standards

It is known that people holding high positions in organisations such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google are less likely to have firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be harassed online. This establishes a climate of apathy by these individuals when it comes to making progress in resolving the issue. When one experiences something firsthand it inevitably impacts their perspective driving how and how often they are inclined to think about it.

For instance, the legal director at Scribd, Jason Bentley, changed his views about online harassment after someone he had banned from the platform decided to target his personal life.  The harasser made claims on sites such as Scribd, Craigslist, and Ripoff Report, that Bentley was guilty of raping his own daughter. The obvious result was Bently’s name therefore becoming prominently associated with these claims on Google’s search engine. He took action and pursued the individuals responsible with legal action. He commented in an interview about the ordeal and committed that he will do everything in his power to stop these online abuses against others as well in going forward. However, obviously there are far more people not in positions of power and who cannot afford legal recourse, yet suffer the same. Unfortunately, they become part of the ever growing population that has no way of escaping from their aggressors. One sure way to see positive change occur is for those at the helm of the social media to be subjected to the same relentless obscene nature of what is occurring in their own platforms. Certainly I do not intend to convey I would wish it upon them, rather to make the point that I do believe the destructive consequences of internet abuse and harassment would come to an end quite quickly.   

Resource For Police To Suspend Twitter Accounts

By Carolyn Davies, Contributing Content Blogger

We'd all like to think police have a handle on internet abuse but that's just not so. Many police agencies would know how to contact twitter or could figure it out, but believe it or not there are some police who are unaware and still take an indifferent view of alleged abuse reported by online victims. I thought this would be a useful link everyone should have to provide police an immediate way to request abuse account suspension on the twitter service. If they don't have to look up procedures or think they need to go a more formal route through the court system, an officer will probably move to complete the form at the time a victim reports initially reports it. File under good to know. 

https://support.twitter.com/forms/lawenforcement

Twitter Takes Another Step To Protecting Users

By Carolyn Davies, Contributing Blogger

Hello, Twitter has been in the news as of late with its plans to crack down on cyberbullies and other internet abusers. Now they have taken another positive step in helping bridge victims between online reporting and real realm reporting to law enforcement officers. They are provide a new option in their Block and Report feature which enables victims to print off a police report to submit in their area.

Here is an article write up discussing the new measure and showing examples of how it will work in action. Please share this with others so they will be aware of the new feature.

http://www.itproportal.com/2015/03/19/twitter-tackle-cyberbullying-print-police-report-option/

Twitter CEO Says They Suck At Dealing With Trolls, But That's About To Change

By Carolyn Davies, Contributing Blogger

Finally the social media giant Twitter is taking action. Last month, their CEO, Dick Costolo took personal responsibility after the platform came under scrutiny for their role in the rampancy of cyber abusers leveraging their free and anonymous service as a tool to abuse and draw harm to targeted victims. Some of those victims committing suicide in response to the abuse and public humiliation received. In his own words, Mr. Costolo sent a memo to Twitter employees. He says: 

"We suck at dealing with abuse and trolls on the platform and we've sucked at it for years. It's no secret and the rest of the world talks about it every day. We lose core user after core user by not addressing simple trolling issues that they face every day.

I'm frankly ashamed of how poorly we've dealt with this issue during my tenure as CEO. It's absurd. There's no excuse for it. I take full responsibility for not being more aggressive on this front. It's nobody else's fault but mine, and it's embarrassing.

We're going to start kicking these people off right and left and making sure that when they issue their ridiculous attacks, nobody hears them. Everybody on the leadership team knows this is vital."

I am giving you the link for the full article. This is a big step for the company and can only lead to more and more improvement in online safety.

http://mashable.com/2015/02/04/twitter-ceo-trolls/

Cyberharrassment and bullying is not a myth.

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

I happened upon an article the other day trying to downplay cyberharassment and bullying. It claimed to be dispelling cyber harassment myths as if these myths were recognised as established. Not so. The article asserted that one of the most common myths is people being turned into cyberbullies by using social media. To me, this seems absurd. Of course nobody is claiming social media itself creates cyberbullies. The creation of a cyberbully mentality starts well before someone becomes acquainted with social media.  Social media is merely the conduit, not the cause.  The article then went on to make the token reassurance that there aren’t as many cyber harassers on the web as it may seem and that a “techno-panic” has been created to give people the impression the problem is much worse than it actually is. Well I disagree. The problem is indeed much worse than most realise and we are seeing dramatic increases in activity not the reverse.  This appears to be more due to the ease at which the Internet can be accessed these days as well as the amount of personal information available that can be exploited against victims.  It is also due to the pervasive element of anonymity that is intrinsic to the nature of online activity. The ability to express latent anger and rage at others without accountability, creates the cyberharasser, not the websites hosting it.  This is not to say social media sites are free from blame, they are enabling the problem.  But we definitely mustn’t be lulled into thinking cyber harassment is not as bad as it seems.  It most certainly is, which most people having any experience on social media can tell you.  

A Society Dictating Moral Order Online Is A Vigilante Society Of Lawlessness

By David Simms, Senior Contributor
The Global Institute for Cyber Safety and Standards

There is a perspective floating around whereby cyber-bullying on social media is viewed as the result of society’s desire to create moral order online. In certain parts of the world shaming others for their mistakes by identifying what is morally right or wrong gives the ability for internet users to shape social codes and force conformity. A graduate student in Yogyakarta Indonesia faced the wrath of thousands of social media users after tweeting negative angry statements about petrol station staff in the city. People rallied together online demanding the student be banished from the province for her demeaning comments. As a result, police arrested her on defamation charges under the controversial Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) law established in that country.  Another case involved a commuting female worker complaining online about how pregnant women always get a seat wherever they board. In just a matter of hours, her post went viral and she faced a chorus of condemnation.

Countries such as Indonesia where ethnic and religious sentiments are very present in the social fabric of society, tend to see much more group mob-like behaviour when it comes to defending cultural or religious practices.  This drives people to utilise social media as a tool to criticise others they see as breaching the moral code. But is it right?

Contrastingly, a recent study by Pew Research Centre revealed that social media actually works to silence public debate in the United States. The study found Americans tend to not voice their opinions in social media, especially when they feel that their opinion is different from popular views.

Regardless of how you look at the issue, using the online platform to harass others into conformity or bash them because they disagree with prevailing views is wrong. This is not to say people should voice scathing negative opinions without considering the impacts of their statements on others. The bottom line is we should all be kinder and more conscientious when it comes to any online interaction. We must always consider how our comments will be taken but we must also restrain from taking up torches to silence others we disagree with.

A society dictating moral order online is a vigilante society of lawlessness and of that we should be very aware and concerned.

What happens when social media forums are used for credible threats?

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

Quite recently, the Supreme Court in the US heard a case concerning what exactly constitutes a threat made through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A man was sentenced to 44 months in prison for making credible threats toward his ex-wife over Facebook and properly so in my view of things. What maddens me is this bit. This man somehow caught the ear of the high court in the states who were willing to hear his case as to why his sentence was wrong. Pardon? This was allowed? There should be no interpretation about the matter. We already know that threats made online are often carried out in the real world. People are killed or injured. Despite the reality scare, in court it was argued under the US Constitution and federal threat statute that a jury there must not only find that a reasonable person would interpret words seen online as threatening but that the harasser actually intended the words to be threatening. This sounds like picking at horse hairs to me. The man who made the threats that were identified at the time as credible, in court tried to say of course he was “joking” around and just having a bit of “venting” so that he never intended to act on any of the statements he made. What else might he say when trying to get off a 44 month prison sentence? Assuming for a moment that he was really just joking it wasn't taken that way by his ex-wife who experienced mental trauma as a woman. She knew him, had been married to him, and knew well and firsthand of his violent tendencies and behaviours. Therefore these threats were credible and an ongoing demonstration of the abuse she'd already endured in the marriage. The US Supreme Court is set to make a ruling on this case this year but what really is there to consider in this case? Using social media in the way this man did is another method of cyber stalking and should be treated as such.

What's behind internet trolls?

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

We're all in for a bit of a shock when taking a look at the mentality behind Internet trolls. How a person can find fulfillment spreading their hateful remarks on others is hard for those normal of us to understand. It's said that trolls share the same aggressive tendencies as pedophiles, rapists, serial killers, and other abusive characters – and I would agree.  There is still research being done to determine if Internet social media platforms act as a catalyst for physical aggression or if they actually work to draw attention away from carrying out aggression in the physical realm.  To me it seems both could be argued but I tend to believe there is a much greater probability that a troubled person, already predisposed to acting out hate against others online, would be more likely to carry out physical aggression than not. Simply put, social media caters to the cyber troll’s destructive nature and encourages them to act out, not retreat. Studies in bio sciences have actually shown that aggression builds especially strong pathways in the brain to which more and more stimulation is required in order to feel satisfied. This vicious cycle can easily be seen by the countless incidents of aggressive trolls crossing the line – breaking into homes, stalking their victims, and ultimately taking physical action that has led to numerous criminal acts of harassment, rape, and murder.

Every Internet troll should be regarded as dangerous. The first mistake would be to trivialise or disregard any threats of physical harm. This is not to mean that we should ever engage these people, it only means that sick people do act on their aggressive and violent thoughts. Today, with the growing ease in which personal information can be obtained, no one is really perfectly safe.  This is why awareness, vigilance, and swift-acting law enforcement are key components when it comes to establishing effective cyber-safety measures. At the same time, we must not fear Internet trolls to the extent they prevent us from living our lives.

Ignoring cyberbullies?

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

When I was young, my eldest sister was bullied at secondary school. I remember her getting the proper sort of advice to ignore it and promised that it would eventually go away. As it turned out for her, the bullying did finally stop. But bullying has changed since then and her situation was tied to in person school days with peers looking to cause trouble.  Now, the internet provides a platform for a new type of bullying that operates differently so why is the advice in dealing with it still the same? Ignore it and hope it goes away? Sorry but this really does not work most of the time unless it's schoolyard bullying. Bullying is basically the same but the way it's perpetrated online is wildly different, and therefore, I think, needs wildly different defenses and countermeasures to fight it.

When a cyber bully is ignored, they usually ramp up their aggressive behaviours knowing they will eventually get a rise out of their target if they keep at them. They can easily recruit the aid of others to either inadvertently or directly gang up on a target. This is a way for them to share the blame by hiding behind others whilst carry out their aggression and creates the illusion they are actually in the right in what they are doing. By ignoring the cyberbully, several negatives are reinforced.  One, silence may give the perception that the bullied person is guilty of whatever is being leveled at them and makes it easier to convince others to join in on the aggression. Two, silence may signal weakness to the bully giving them the impression they are getting to the victim which prompts them to continue their activities and even increase them. The goal of many bullies is to coax and pressure their victim to suicide like it's some kind of sick dare. Three, silence shows the cyberbully that nothing is being done to stop them and that they can get away with the behaviour without responsibility. This encourages them to continue on and start to attack others. Silence can ironically condone the bullying.

So how do you deal with a cyberbully?  First of all, I suggest you don’t engage them directly.  Doing this is not the same as ignoring them but it is a way of cutting off the gratification they derive from their aggression. Without delay you should speak to whomever possible to reveal the bully’s activities. This may be simply going to adults or the websites hosting the activity. Cyberbullies prefer not to be revealed for what they do.  It also shows that in messing with you they will be held accountable and face consequences. One of the worst things a person can do is to be silent and internalise what is happening to them to the point they begin believing what is said about them and blame themselves. For adults who are being cyberbullied, my advice is the same.  Report bullying activity to company officials and to law enforcement. Never hesitate by thinking cyberbullying is trivial and will pass. It rarely does and should be addressed immediately.  It is so important to realise that the problem will not go away if you ignore it. Cyberbullying and abuse isn't the same is childhood bullying amongst children who can be stopped. When it's happening amongst adults that's a different playing field and the same rules don't apply.

NASUWT Campaign for Change

By Carolyn Davies, Contributing Content Blogger

Passing along this great bit of information for all interested and in the appropriate region to take part or make further inquiries. 

A UK organisation known as the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), has expressed concern about cyberbullying based on empirical data from a vast collection of teacher experiences. This is the largest teacher's union in the United Kingdom. The group recognises the extreme benefits of using current digital technology, but at the same time are alarmed at the routine abuse of social media, internet sites, and mobile phones in schools. They are now on a mission to campaign for change.

Here is a good article about what they are up to:
http://www.unite4education.org/uncategorized/uk-teachers-union-takes-on-cyberbullying/

and here is a link to their website for contact on getting involved: http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/

Cyber harassment is not a gender war.

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

I don't want to harp on gender wars but I have to speak up over my frustrations. I read another article daring to compare cyberharassment against men as comparable to women.  I've no issue with men, I love them, but the prevailing notion keeps flopping about telling us men are targeted more often than women. Wait, what's this nonsense? It's an idea based on statistics claiming male celebrities receive more abuse overall on Twitter than their female counterparts. Straight off we're in trouble if we're using celebrities as our goal posts but beyond that this is a shallow study that takes the matter remissly out of context. Facts are, men are rarely targeted online for just being “men,” yet women tend to be harassed as a result of ingrained cultural beliefs that have been around since the beginning of time, that women are subordinate creatures needing to be put in their proper place.

For girls and women, being harassed online is not just about trivial unpleasantries or catcalls, as the media might have us believe, rather it is very often about men asserting dominance by intimidating women to silence and submission. Unlike men, women must endure threats of rape and other gender based violence that is simply not a factor for men.  It is common to see the sharing of gifs, images, and lewd jokes depicting gross violence against women as “humour.” Unfortunately the humour can spill over into the real world leading to mob behaviours or individual physical stalking and attacks.

Women are in the majority of those targeted for revenge porn aren't they? Only recently more than 100 female celebrities fell victim to their private photographs being maliciously posted online with the intent to humiliate. It wasn't men. These things can happen to anyone, but in reality they don’t so let's keep it real. Men are online victims but to say what they experience online is comparable to women is insulting and takes us away from where we should be in developing strategies to deal with cyber abuses on the large. Abuses that do yes happen to men, but happen overwhelmingly to women with the abusers overwhelmingly being men. Let's not make comparisons where there aren't any. This is a war against cyber hate and crimes not a battle of which sex has it the worst.

By Carolyn Davies, Contributing Content Blogger

I thought this was well worthy of sharing. This video clip about cyberbullying was posted nearly 9 years ago but it's still as pertinent and poignant today as it was then if not more. Please watch and share. This video was created in 2006 but that was still at a time cyber hate and abuse was just beginning. Look at the technology in this video in the outdated computers and old mobile phones and consider how far the cyber world has come and how all the more deadly and dangerous it is today. Then give ponderance to how deadly and dangerous it will be 9 years from now if nothing is done and the internet continues with no global safety policies and protocol standards. 

Native Or Migrant

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

The Global Institute for Cyber Safety and Standards

When it comes to the global crisis we face of harassment, stalking, and the overall abuse of others, social networking sites have now surpassed all other modes as the primary means of carrying out these aggressive crimes. The statistics say that young people are twice as likely to be harassed on Facebook than any other social site in the world and that Twitter and Ask.fm are not far behind. They also say that the number one type of cyber-harassment is pornographic content followed by violent threats. What does this say about our changing world? It ought to be an indication that the internet is where most of the action is taking place socially, especially for the younger generation. If we're to combat this most effectively should we not then begin to put ourselves in their shoes?  They are considered to be internet natives, meaning their lives have always been integral with the internet, computers and technology. It is part of their founding sense of reality. Whereas the older generation are internet migrants – we did not begin there, but we adapted to the technology. This is a significant difference. Could it be then that the older generation is incapable of finding effective solutions to current internet challenges such as bullying and harassment? 

There is no doubt cyber-harassment extends to the adult world in the most vicious of ways. There is also no doubt that the stakes are much higher for adults than children. When a life is damaged online, a child has time to recover; an adult does not. The obvious answer is that the children of today must follow rules keeping their behaviours in check when at school, so they should also online. I’m not so sure it is that simple. Standards and laws are a must, but we must be mindful of the way they are implemented. They must be tailored to the natives of the internet who in some ways, though no excuse, have never known a difference.

Fun and Games, Not Really

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

Aside from social media, there is a large online population engaging in online games. Typically users have the option to communicate via instant message or other, while playing the game.  Although this has not gotten the higher profile attention that cyberbullying has, online gaming has become a cesspool of harassment that should be brought to the focus. Online gaming is a worldwide activity and another conduit for cyber harassment. While it has historically been a male dominated pastime, women now make up a large part of the gaming community. As a result, there have been increasing numbers of reports by women claiming to be sexually harassed on these sites. Competition tends to bring out aggression in people as they are engaged in striving to outperform others. This can lead to extremely insulting and offensive language aimed at other players, including both men and women. Most of the time it is limited to communications concerning the game being played at the time, but interactions can easily escalate to the point of criminal cyber attacks outside the context of the game. 

It is believed that the gaming industry attracts certain types of personalities that have a propensity toward competitive and nasty behaviours.  Because of the global networking in the gaming industry, the pool of participants with these personalities is greatly increased.  As a result of gaming wars and the exceptionally wide population of users, the aggression has spilled over into the real world where people have been threatened and physically attacked.

I'd say that brings new meaning to the words use at your own risk.

A Global Network to Fight a Global Problem

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

There is an organisation known as the Child Helpline International (CHI) who is doing much great work. CHI is conducting ongoing development and support of toll-free child helplines worldwide and uses data to detect inconsistencies and weaknesses in existing child protection systems. This organisation was started in India some 25 years ago and was originally known as Childline India.   Their approach was to have volunteers speak on the phone directly to children in need and keep logs of all calls.  From there it evolved into a global network. Now, helplines around the world can join under the umbrella of CHI as long as they meet basic criteria. 

At present there are 127 countries involved. In the 25 years CHI has been in operation, cyberbullying and harassment has become more of a central problem they deal with on a daily basis. This is a very tangible indication that the issue of cyberbullying is significantly supplanting the crisis’ youth face in the modern age. It is pleasing to see that CHI is pioneering such a service to young people around the globe. Their work is very similar to ours here at the Global Institute however our focus is expanded to help adults facing the destruction in their lives due to cyber harassment. We are also aligned with the modes of communication typically used in this day and age.  It is of utmost importance that we bond together in our fight and that we adapt to changing technologies. 

As the world evolves in its communications it is our policy that, so too must we. In order to be effective it is our philosophy the battle must be fought where these crimes are taking place which is primarily through social media sites that are now accessed more by smartphone or ipads.

The Troll

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

What's a troll? I've often wondered. Whenever I come across this word, I first picture a dumbly over sized monster so often depicted in films. I might not be far off the mark really, at least personality wise. 

The word “troll” has reinvented itself in the modern slang of the internet. A troll on the internet is someone who intentionally tries to upset others by starting arguments or posting unnecessarily inflammatory messages on blogs, in chat rooms, or forums. This is essentially the same thing as flaming where “flamers” go about their ways posting nasty comments to start angry dialogue. As is the usual theme, anonymity plays a central component in this cowardly immature activity so many are prone to. 

There's been an effort to understand the psychology of the internet troll, in a study conducted that questioned over 400 participants on their internet activity and behaviours. As it shakes out, those who actually enjoy trolling or flaming also have a disproportionate sadistic nature to their personalities which is formally characterised as psychopathic. In fact, statistical analysis places a significant overlap between the troll and the sadist.  They are indistinguishable. It can basically be said that these people writing nasty comments are doing so because they have need to harm other people. The sadist or troll, is someone who is vicious and degrading toward others. Keep in mind these traits are commonly seen in serial killers and sex offender personalities. The sadistic troll combs through chat forums and the like, spending over an hour per day spreading their invective. This is a sickness and we are just now coming to realise the internet exacerbates the condition at the unfortunate expense of others.

Trolls are a scare and even the most dumbly over sized monsters can do a terrible amount of damage in films and online. Should we not be doing something about seeing to it the clubs these trolls bang on with are taken away from them?

Chat Communications and Other Online Behaviours

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

One question I have pondered on many occasions is how the internet might be different if rules and the enforcement of them were the same as those we find in society. Any civilised community has laws in place to curb criminal activity and keep normal people in check also. 

An interesting study was done on an internet gaming community where behaviours of participants were monitored based on several controlled changes to the interaction  between players. It was found that players who were consistently negative in their chat communications with other players, accounted for only  13 percent of the bad behaviour seen overall in the game. The other 87 percent came from players who were mostly positive but lashed out only occasionally. It was these isolated occurrences that catalysed the escalation of negative comments throughout the gaming community. This seems to mirror aspects of online harassment activity. We imagine hateful and offensive language coming from deranged outcasts of society who have no other way to vent. But this is not the case, much of the negative outlash comes from happy people living normal respectable lives. The cyber harasser cannot be identified if they were sitting in a room.  

One thing the study tried was making it more difficult to use the chat option and found the negative comments dropped of drastically. This showed that given even a small barrier most people won’t bother with venting. It was also found that people weren’t aware that they were coming across badly. When they were confronted with their behaviour and that others found it offensive, they not only backed down but refrained from negativity completely. The relation to internet harassment seems to be clear. Ultimately, online abuse isn’t a technology problem rather a social one that is driven by technology. The most effective solutions to the problem appear to be defusing the tendency for bad behaviour to escalate and encourage the involvement of all users of the platform to be judges of the activity. If people are held accountable for their online actions by their peers, we might see a larger reduction in the problem than we expect.

An internet of enablers.

By Abigail Clarke: Contributing Content Blogger

When people are stalked or harassed on the internet, something should be done about it immediately. I’ve grown rather weary of all the talk about what police cannot do or what social medias cannot do. There is something police can do. They can investigate these rampant crimes. Hate speech, harassment, bullying, and stalking are crimes. It is my opinion, and not lacking of common sense, that if the police don’t have the resources to deal with these, they certainly need to be given them. Victims of these crimes are not barmy and should never be made to feel they are.  I realised many years to the prior you must speak up to be heard, especially when what is being spoken is less than popular.  I don’t want to live in a society that just throws up its hands when people are routinely lashed on the internet only to say “it’s not so bad. Just live with it.”

There is also something social media companies can do. They can make it known that abuse is not acceptable in any capacity. They can work to reshape the expression, environment, and context of their sites so that hate crime cannot thrive. They can make reporting a little easier as well and support a trained staff to deal with these reports. They can make a genuine effort to listen to their users and take action on what they are saying instead of burying away complaints. These are all proactive things that could happen and would make a difference however even these don’t get to the root of the problem. They are band-aids treating symptoms and not the cause. Social media doesn’t cause cyber harassment and the police cannot cure it. What really needs to happen is for society to take a genuine look at itself.  To change the status quo of the internet requires consistent and long-term education beginning at a young age.  Society must be reconditioned to be able to function properly, as a whole, on the internet.

At present there is no doubt the internet is enabling abusive behaviours, allowing people to vent and throw their hate at others, but by the same token it also provides a platform for positive voices to be heard and for knowledge to be shared and advanced.

The Dark Side of Social Media

By David Simms, Senior Contributor

Social Media is where most cyber bullying and harassment take place with the top sites being Facebook and Twitter among others. These websites have exploded in popularity to the extent they have become part of the fabric of our physical existence. It is getting to the point that people spend more time engaged in virtual social media interactions than physical ones, which is proving to be the case for all cultures. Although these platforms originate in the United States, they are just as popular among countries around the world. It is interesting to note that along with social sites coming to other countries, online stalking, harassment, and bullying have in turn escalated. There appears to be a correlation! It taps into that aspect of human nature that has a need to tear down others we view as threatening or whom we do not agree with in some way.  

The tendency to attack others for whatever reason has always been there. In many cases we choose not to act on destructive thoughts and actions for fear of what might happen to us in return. However through the medium of the internet, this fear is not a factor. Now, through the internet, hateful and violent behaviours can be expressed much more easily and without the risk of physical confrontation. In a relatively short time, it is becoming the new acceptable standard in dealing with personal and relationship issues with others and is becoming more apparent especially in younger generations. Some might argue this negative trend is being encouraged by the social media providers themselves. I might have to agree. Social media makes it extremely difficult for victims of cyber hate to protect themselves or have any recourse against those attacking them. It is already a problem in the United States but it is particularly difficult for those with a different cultural paradigm.  For example, in many countries what would be considered moderately dressed for a woman in American is considered blasphemous and punishable by death.  Yet these American-based social media providers offer protection according to their own cultural views. The extreme disconnect with platforms like Facebook and Twitter have provoked countries such as China, North Korea, and Iran to ban them from use by their citizens.