What is Online Misogyny and How to Stop It
The Digital Age has contributed to a slew of unintended consequences that threaten our security and privacy. Online harassment, in particular, has become a major issue with the popularity of social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In a recent survey, nearly 80% of respondents said that online services, including social media companies, have a responsibility to intervene when harassment occurs. While both men and women are subject to online harassment, “women report higher levels of emotional stress from their experiences.” As a woman in technology, I believe I have a social responsibility to specifically address online misogyny and help put a stop to the online abuse of women.
What is Online Misogyny?
Online misogyny is the targeted abuse and harassment of women and girls through the means of the internet. Online misogyny and harassment take many forms, including:
- Threats of physical or sexual violence
- Posting of intimate images without consent (aka revenge porn)
- Generally abusive language or sexist comments
Where is it Happening?
Online anonymity provides a safe haven for cyber bullies and online trolls. A majority of online harassment of women occurs on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Women also experience harassment on various web forums, chatrooms, and comment sections on news articles and personal blogs.
How Does It Affect Women?
As previously mentioned, women report higher levels of emotional stress from online harassment. Psychological impacts include:
- Lower self-esteem
- Feeling of powerlessness
- Trouble sleeping
- Feeling of isolation
- Increased anxiety or stress
- Decreased ability to focus on everyday tasks
How Can We Stop It?
The first step in stopping online misogyny and harassment of women is to acknowledge that there is a problem. An online video editor startup, Kapwing, recently conducted a powerful experiment that demonstrates how harassment specifically targets women online.
The Kapwing website initially featured a chat box to solicit user feedback, with a picture of the company’s co-founder, Julia Enthoven. Almost immediately, the chat box became a vehicle for daily harassment, which included aggressive threats, sexual jokes, and comments on Julia’s looks.
After becoming frustrated by the torrid of abuse, Julia decided to conduct an experiment and periodically changed the name and avatar of the chat box widget and tracked the rate of harassment. When the picture was a blonde model named, “Rachel Gray,” the harassment level was 50% higher than Julia’s original photo. Comments included asking for nude photos and sexual favors as well as calling her names and threatening her.
However, when the picture was changed to Julia’s co-founder, Eric Lu, the harassment dropped to nearly 0%. Once the picture was changed to a cartoon cat, the harassment went away completely.
Now that we can all acknowledge that the problem exists, what can we do about it? On an individual level, we have a responsibility to report abuse and draw attention to perpetrators. We also need to put pressure on social media companies and the tech industry to develop more comprehensive algorithms and policies to prevent and stop online harassment. As a society, we should start having a conversation about harassment as a form of entertainment. For instance, are Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets segments encouraging online misogyny and harassment?
While there is no clear-cut answer, we all have a role to play. With great power, comes great responsibility. Fighting for a free and safe internet means cracking down on online misogyny and stopping the online abuse of women.
