Star Comment – Social media offers a dangerous cloak of anonymity
Should our football reporter Nathan Judah have to put up abuse from with internet trolls?
Clearly the answer is no.
Nathan hasn’t written his article today looking for sympathy. He has a tough skin and knows he is likely to get some negative feedback, especially when supporters are frustrated by the performance of the team on the pitch. It is par for the course.
He has highlighted the issue because this is a situation that many people find themselves in. Not just those with a high profile – there are many who suffer abuse online for various reasons in every day life.
Social media is a fantastic way to keep in touch with each other and to spread the word. It is a power for good, connects communities and raises millions for charity.
But it also offers a dangerous cloak of anonymity and people who wouldn’t dream of throwing abuse face to face feel empowered to do so online.
There are also examples of bullying in school – and the fact that social media allows it to continue long after the school bell has rung.
Social media platforms have a role to play in this by monitoring platforms and taking down abusers.
But this is also an issue in society. How have we developed such a toxic online culture? Why is there so much hate? And how can that be tackled?
At the end of the day, we must all take responsibility for our own actions by thinking before we type and press send.
There’s a simple rule of thumb: if we wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, in polite company, then we shouldn’t do so online.
The frustration of people fed up with Wolves’ plight at the foot of the table is understandable. Football is a passionate game. It can also be something of a bear pit, where tempers flare and people say things they might later regret. And for all the abuse that Nathan has had to endure, it’s as nothing to that facing some of the players and management team.
Yet the outpouring of unpleasantness hints at a malaise that we ought not to tolerate or normalise. A person doing their job – whether that’s a football reporter, a shop worker, a train driver, or a sports manager – ought not to be abused or put in fear. They ought to be able to get on with their work, as others do, without being the focal point for anger.
Quite how we put the genie back in the bottle is unclear. What is clear is the damaging effect that online bullying has. It harms those who are subjected to it and there’s a simple message to those responsible – enough is enough.
