In the late 1960’s, during the cold war America saw the birth of what we’ve now come to know as the internet. used originally as a military defense system during the cold war, the internet has always been a tool for sharing intelligence and effectively communicating information. Over 60 years later, it does that and so much more. With all of the advancements made and all of the progress we’ve seen, connecting with others and sharing information has never been simpler.
Conversely, the space that the internet has provided to connect with others has also allowed for others to pollute our digital ecosystem with hateful rhetoric- and to connect with others who share the same beliefs.
Now, there are entire networks of people who organize their efforts from behind their computer screens with the shared goal of spreading their rhetoric to anyone with access to the world wide web. Hate speech is more than just your run-of-the-mill cyberbullying or a few tasteless race jokes shared between incels–it’s a pointed attack on a specific group of people. Hate speech is, by and large, so dangerous because it demonizes minority groups– using tools like misinformation and propaganda to do so. In this day and age, using your online presence to preserve the truth and push back against false claims has never been more important. The methods we choose to use to combat this type of online presence, however, are even more important to keep in mind.
While it may seem easily identifiable, hate speech can be particularly difficult to classify. Each platform defines it differently and even those definitions are subject to change, given its panacean nature. So how can we know when we’re dealing with hate speech as opposed to just some type of heated online discourse or disagreement? The first question you should ask is who is speaking? Determining whose content you are engaging with will help you decide whether or not it’s worth even responding at all. It can be tempting to interact with just about every post you come across– correcting mistruths or debating antiquated talking points, but sometimes you can do more harm than good. the social media platforms we use, and much of the internet in general, operate by using algorithms that sort and promote posts based on relevancy. While these algorithms are impressive in their capabilities, they are limited in their understanding of reason. Regardless of what your responses are, the internet will recognize the fact that there is a response, and will suggest more and more content similar in nature. Beyond that, the system will also amplify the post–sharing it to your mutuals and accounts that are alike yours. determining who you’re engaging with can/will save you time and energy because some users will not be open to correction. There are those who are misinformed and those who simply have malintent. arguing aimlessly with bigots will often do more harm than good. use discretion to decide whether you should be countering claims vs disengaging entirely.
Once you’ve taken a moment to consider who you’re engaging with, and if it’s worth a response, you can move forward with the next step. Take into consideration for a moment what the objective of the post may be. This leads us to our second question: What is the intent of the author? Intention is somewhat a prerequisite for hate speech– the difference between a bad take and blatant bigotry. Establishing an understanding of someone’s intentions, will help you determine your best approach– and if that includes any form of confrontation at all. There are a number of people who profit off of online outcry and digital backlash. platforms like twitter (known to some as ‘x’) and Facebook have rolled back hate speech rules over the years and with creator monetization programs on the rise, extremists are able to capitalize on their prejudice like never before. When someone is a self-proclaimed racialist or an extremist, asking ‘who is speaking’ may be enough for you to determine intent immediately, however there will be times when people incite hatred using covert tactics in order to seem plausible or sincere. Some may even hide behind blank profiles or assume fake identities to conceal their very own. Regardless, establishing that there is intent to demean or insult or incite violence against others is enough to move forward in engaging the post.
You may be wondering why you should interact to begin with; why should I engage at all? Doesn’t it make more sense to disengage entirely? Not always. Now, there are exceptions to the rule, and as I mentioned before there will certainly be times when you should ignore as opposed to responding. However, silence can be seen as complacency and without correction, misinformation is much more likely to be spread. Data has shown that hate speech is directly linked to hate crimes. In 2015 we witnessed a mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and then again in 2022 at Club Q in Colorado–both preceded by the respective shooters engaging in hate speech online. There are countless other examples of times in which we saw someone who engaged/promoted hate speech going on to enact violence against a group of people. We must take serious action against those who support hateful ideologies if we intend on protecting others–both online and in person.
Once you’ve taken the time to try and determine who you’re responding to, what their motives are, and if it’s worth a response in general– you can move forward in carefully responding using counterspeech. As with any type of discourse or debate, you should be knowledgeable enough on the matter to comfortably defend your position. Make sure that you’ve taken the time to do your own research and are aware of the facts. Once you’ve identified the author of the post, established an understanding of their intent, and determined that engaging is more important than not, you can move forward in actually crafting an appropriate response.
The best tool we can use against hate speech and misinformation is something known as counterspeech. counterspeech is a response to misinformation and/or hate speech that addresses the claim directly as opposed to the claimant. Use clear, concise language and avoid engaging in combative or argumentative language. as opposed to resharing a post that features hate speech, screenshot it instead and publish a new post referencing it. This ensures that you are not amplifying the content or the creator, while still allowing you to address the post. Additionally, provide links to the information you share when possible and be sure to use credible sources. Oftentimes, we shirk the responsibility to correct or educate because of a desire to “win” when presented with conflict. Maintaining composure can be difficult, but will help to eliminate any irrelevant talking points and ensure that you’re focusing on the matter at hand. You’ll find that a lot of people will quickly shift their attention onto you– attacking your online presence or physical appearance or discrediting your knowledge– but at most you should only point out their willingness to do so when presented with facts. counterspeech is not about reading someone their rights or being the best at twitter feud. It requires us to be the bigger person, caring less about defending our personal lives or the internet persona we share with the world and more about preserving the truth.
Keeping all of these steps in mind will help to ensure that you’re handling hate speech appropriately. Start by identifying who your author is. Then, examine the subject matter of the post and use discernment to determine intent. Once you’ve established who the author is and ascertained malintent, the final question is whether or not your silence does more harm than good. Is it even worth the reply? Protecting your peace should be your priority, but turning a blind eye to hate and calumny will sooner or later cost you exactly that. Using counterspeech as a tactic to counter misinformation and hate speech helps to spread the truth and encourage others to do the same. As the internet grows in its capabilities and humans seemingly rely on it more and more, championing the truth is getting increasingly important. effecting change and practicing advocacy is imperative.
so do your research. keep your cool. and leave the wrestling to the pigs.
