Social media is like a jungle – full of opportunities and dangers. Especially people who do not meet the supposed standard are often the target of insults and hate campaigns. Psychologist Barbara Costanzo, Vice President Group Social Engagement at Telekom and co-responsible for the initiative “#DABEI – Against Hate on the Net”, has been dealing with this phenomenon for a long time. Help is also offered by Juuuport, an online advice platform for young people that is involved in the initiative and was founded by the Lower Saxony State Media Authority. A look at the motivations and possible ways out.
Who are the preferred victims? Women are still one of the most popular hate speech targets, especially when in public, as Costanzo reports. Homophobia and racism are also often acted out in attacks on the platforms. “Even transgender people who report about themselves have to expect that unbelievable things will discharge,” says the expert. More and more of the same message is sent to the recipient via the algorithms. “There are then many sources with comparable and supposedly real messages, and that has a massive impact,” says Costanzo.
Who is sending hate messages? On the one hand there are those who want to belong to a group and try to reduce the distances inwards and to enlarge them outwards. “That also happens in democratically oriented groups, but in anti-democratic groups it is even more of a principle,” the expert notes. In addition, there are people who insult others online because of a bad experience. Ultimately, the group of those who have not experienced anything negative is the largest. “That’s anticipated fear. I can stir up fake news much more easily if I don’t have a counterpart against which I can measure it.”
Hate messages are often sent in phases of uncertainty, explains Barbara Costanzo. The psychologist who works for Telekom sees such campaigns as an attack on democracy.
(Photo: Frank Bauer / Telekom)
What is the drive? There are many reasons. Juuuport points out that boredom or a joke can lead to online bullying. Hate campaigns, on the other hand, often have their origins in fear of a phase of uncertainty, often it is about shifting familiar boundaries. Hatred becomes a strategy to divide society. “Many don’t have an opinion of their own and let themselves be dragged along,” says Costanzo. In a certain way, diversity is exhausting, explains the psychologist – because that essentially means questioning yourself again and again. Surrounding oneself with like-minded people is more comfortable – one’s own opinion is confirmed more often, one gets along well.
Who benefits from hatred? In fact, there are several ways to benefit from evil. One factor can be money, because, according to Costanzo, hatred has also become a business model. On the other hand, sending hate messages is also associated with a strange joy and a feeling of power. Juuuport therefore advises those affected not to react in order to stop the hate spiral. Hatred can even make you happy, says Costanzo: “Especially when I am anti-democratic, sending such messages can trigger positive feelings because it is a perceived fight for the sender.” Most often, however, it is so that you manipulate others in the interests of your own cause and thus benefit. “Hatred becomes a strategy to attract supporters of your own idea.”
Is switching off a solution? The seemingly simplest solution would be to consciously say goodbye to social media. Juuuport recommends those affected to block offensive contacts. However, psychologist Costanzo also believes that switching off completely is a loss – because private life takes place in parallel in the analogue and digital world. “There are groups that are not good at turning off,” says Costanzo. “For many, social media has become their main workplace or sales channel.” Switching off also means that the hateful messages achieve their goal: to marginalize someone. “These voices are then missing when forming an opinion in a society. That is ultimately the attack on democracy.”
What can those affected do? Juuuport recommends reporting inappropriate content to the respective platforms. Other readers should show digital moral courage, demands Costanzo. That is not easy, but there is support on platforms like #ichbinhier. So far, few victims of hate online have taken the legal path. “You have to change that,” says Costanzo. Because only the threat of punishment does not work, but also when the perpetrators are actually persecuted and society gets the feeling: “The network is not a legal vacuum. Hate is a social problem, we are all asked not to ignore it.”