{"id":6531,"date":"2016-10-21T12:24:28","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T19:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/?p=6531"},"modified":"2016-10-21T12:24:28","modified_gmt":"2016-10-21T19:24:28","slug":"dr-joti-samra-interviewed-on-global-news-trolls-and-tribulations-one-in-four-canadians-say-theyre-being-harassed-on-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/blog\/dr-joti-samra-interviewed-on-global-news-trolls-and-tribulations-one-in-four-canadians-say-theyre-being-harassed-on-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Joti Samra interviewed on Global News &#8211; Trolls and tribulations: One-in-four Canadians say they\u2019re being harassed on Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>October 21, 2016 \u2013 <\/strong>It\u2019s not something most people would feel comfortable seeing while walking down the street: One out of every four people being subjected to unwelcome comments, vicious insults, threats of violence, or worse. On Facebook or Twitter, however, this is exactly the environment that develops below even the most run-of-the-mill political stories.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The growth of social media over the last decade or so has revolutionized the way people build relationships, but it has also revolutionized the way they tear each other down.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A comprehensive new public opinion poll from the Angus Reid Institute finds one-quarter of all Canadians have experienced some type of harassment or abuse while using social media, and that total rises among younger people and frequent users of such sites.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The survey finds that the effects of uncivil social media discourse extend well beyond hurt feelings and online embarrassment. One-in-four who have been harassed on social media say their experiences have had real-world consequences, and more than six-in-ten Canadians say they have self-censored online in hopes of avoiding such abuse.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Given these wide-ranging effects, it\u2019s perhaps little wonder that most Canadians who have been following this issue are less than satisfied with the way social media companies have been handling offensive content on their platforms.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Key Findings:<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-57541\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SMMetho.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SMMetho.jpg 454w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SMMetho-300x198.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid\" width=\"400\" height=\"264\" \/><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>More than half of Canadians familiar with the issue (53%) say social media companies are \u201cnot doing enough\u201d to address harassment on their platforms. Just 19 per cent say they\u2019re \u201cresponding appropriately\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Most would like to see social media companies take an active approach to harassment, either responding to complaints (42%) or proactively finding and removing offensive content (49%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Canadians find five specific examples of social media abuse presented in this survey to be unacceptable, but there are significant age and gender gaps in their responses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>INDEX: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/social-media\/#part-1\">Part 1<\/a>: How many have been harassed?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/social-media\/#part-2\">Part 2<\/a>: What does harassment look like?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/social-media\/#part-3\">Part 3<\/a>: Specific examples \u2013 what\u2019s okay and what\u2019s not?<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/social-media\/#part-4\">Part 4<\/a>: What should be done?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"part-1\"><strong><u>PART 1: How many have been harassed?<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Who uses social media? <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The vast majority of Canadians, approximately nine-in-ten (89%), say they use social media at least occasionally. This number grows to almost 100 per cent among the youngest Canadian adults, and also includes four-in-five (79%) of those ages 55 and older:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-57513 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM1.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM1.jpg 680w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM1-300x159.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"600\" height=\"318\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Facebook is by far the most-used social network for Canadians. Most (52%) use it every day or more, and almost seven-in-ten (69%) use it multiple times a week. No other platform is used this heavily by more than 17 per cent of Canadians (see comprehensive tables for greater detail).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Based on their social media usage, Canadians can be divided into five groups. The following infographic summarizes their age, gender and social media engagement.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal.png\" data-rel=\"fancybox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-57543\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal.png 796w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal-298x300.png 298w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SocialMediaFinal-768x773.png 768w\" alt=\"socialmediafinal\" width=\"675\" height=\"679\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>Who is being harassed? <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps because of their higher rate of use, Super Users are more likely than other groups to report having been harassed on social media:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57514\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm2.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm2.jpg 644w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm2-300x191.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"599\" height=\"382\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Though much of the discussion about online harassment focuses on the experiences of women \u2013 and for good reason given the severity of some of the attacks women have faced on social media \u2013 this survey finds that men and women who use social media report experiencing harassment at roughly equal rates.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Women are more likely to report certain types of harassment, however, as will be discussed later in this report.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In terms of the overall likelihood of being harassed, age is much more of a driving factor than gender, a finding that correlates to the heavier usage seen among younger respondents.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57515\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM3.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM3.jpg 621w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM3-300x132.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"601\" height=\"266\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also more likely to be experience social media harassment? Self-identified members of a visible minority or the LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Among visible minorities, almost four-in-ten (38%) social media users have experienced harassment, while among those who are not visible minorities, the total falls to three-in-ten (29%, see summary tables at the end of this report).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The difference between the experiences of LGBTQ social media users and those of everyone else is even more stark, as seen in the following graph:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57516\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM4.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM4.jpg 539w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM4-300x171.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"527\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These findings correlate to other research that has been done on the topic of online harassment of this community.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"part-2\"><strong><u>PART 2: What does harassment look like?<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>How are they being harassed? <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Not all social media harassment is created equal. There\u2019s a big difference between an isolated insult and the flood of targeted abuse to which <em>Ghostbusters<\/em> actress Leslie Jones was subjected after the film\u2019s premiere.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And then there are cases in which online harassment spills over into the real world, often in the form of cyber-bullying or \u201crevenge porn.\u201d In these more extreme situations, the victims tend to be women.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Among the nearly one-in-three Canadian social media users who have been harassed, roughly half say they\u2019ve been subjected to multiple types of harassment (see comprehensive tables).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The specific types of harassment reported are shown in the following graph (bars add up to more than the 31 per cent of Canadians who have been harassed because many have been harassed in multiple ways):<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57517\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM5.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM5.jpg 717w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM5-300x216.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"675\" height=\"486\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As previously mentioned, this survey finds no difference between social media users of different genders in terms of the overall prevalence of harassment. Women and men are roughly equally likely to report being subjected to at least one of the behaviours on the list.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That said, there are certain types of harassment that are more likely to be directed at women on social media. As the following graph indicates, women are twice as likely as men to say they\u2019ve been stalked or sexually harassed, and one-and-a-half times more likely to say they\u2019ve been subjected to unwelcome comments about their appearance:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57518\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm6.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm6.jpg 717w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sm6-300x146.jpg 300w\" alt=\"angus reid institute social media\" width=\"674\" height=\"328\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Women are also more likely than men to say their experiences with social media harassment have followed them into the real world. Overall, one-in-four Canadians who have been harassed on social media (24%) say their experiences have had an impact on them in their real lives. This rises to 28 per cent among women, and falls to 19 per cent among men:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57519\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM7.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM7.jpg 665w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM7-300x160.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"625\" height=\"334\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>These real-world effects of digital-world harassment manifest themselves in a variety of ways, as seen in the graph that follows:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57520\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM8.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM8.jpg 678w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM8-300x222.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"651\" height=\"482\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>Self-censorship and opting out: <\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Given the relatively large number of Canadians who have been harassed on social media, and the serious consequences that can result from such harassment, it\u2019s perhaps not surprising that the threat of such an experience keeps some people from participating in online communities.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One-in-four Canadians surveyed (25%) indicated they had used at least one social network in the past that they no longer use today. Asked whether they quit the site in question because of offensive content on it, one-quarter of this group says that\u2019s at least partly the case \u2013 6 per cent say it\u2019s the main reason they quit, while 20 per cent say it was one of the reasons.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, among the one-in-ten Canadians (11%) who don\u2019t use any social networks, more than one-third say offensive content is at least partly to blame for their non-participation:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57521\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM9.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 573px) 100vw, 573px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM9.jpg 600w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM9-300x180.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"573\" height=\"344\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This chilling effect of the tone of online discourse can also be seen among those who <em>do<\/em> use one or more social media platforms.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Asked whether they\u2019ve ever self-censored on social media because of fear of the negative response a post might generate, most social media users (61%) say yes. Indeed, one-in-five users (21%) say they do so often, as seen in the graph that follows. Women are slightly more likely than men to say they self-censor, though the differences are less stark on this question than on other issues canvassed (see comprehensive tables).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57522\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM10.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM10.jpg 600w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM10-300x189.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"582\" height=\"366\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One-in-three social media users (34%) go a step further, saying they avoid certain social networks (or use such platforms less than they would like to) because of offensive content or harassment concerns (see comprehensive tables).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"part-3\"><strong><u>PART 3: Specific examples \u2013 what\u2019s okay and what\u2019s not?<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Different people have different ideas about what constitutes social media abuse. Myriad factors contribute to the offensiveness of a given post, and every post is different.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To get a sense of where Canadians draw the line of acceptability in these matters, Angus Reid Institute researchers showed survey respondents five examples of online interactions.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Four of the examples came from Twitter and one from Facebook. Researchers selected examples that touched on a diverse array of topics. When available, Canadian examples were preferred. That said, the examples chosen are neither representative of the vast majority of social media discourse, nor the worst examples of offensive material to be found.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Respondents were shown each example individually, and asked to choose between two options to describe it: either as, \u201cOkay \u2013 people should be free to post a comment like this on social media,\u201d or as, \u201cNot okay \u2013 comments like this should not be on social media.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Images of the specific examples used in this survey follow.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Example A, directed at a CTV News online producer:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-57523\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM11.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM11.jpg 639w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM11-300x151.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"639\" height=\"321\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Two-thirds of Canadians say this post is \u201cnot okay,\u201d as seen in the following graph:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57524\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM12.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM12.jpg 626w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM12-300x149.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"619\" height=\"307\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Example B, an exchange on Facebook following <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/news.nationalpost.com\/news\/canada\/racial-tension-in-sask-after-first-nations-man-shot-dead-while-looking-for-flat-tire-help-on-farm-family-says\"><em>the killing of an Indigenous man<\/em><\/a><em> named Colten Boushie by a farmer in Saskatchewan; the native man was accompanied by 3 others in a car:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-57525\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM13.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 369px) 100vw, 369px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM13.jpg 369w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM13-203x300.jpg 203w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"369\" height=\"544\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>More than eight-in-ten Canadians say this exchange is \u201cnot okay:\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-57526\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM14.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM14.jpg 621w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM14-300x186.jpg 300w\" alt=\"media harassment angus reid\" width=\"621\" height=\"384\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Example C, found on Twitter:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57527\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM15.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM15.jpg 731w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM15-300x121.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"694\" height=\"281\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This one is also unacceptable in the eyes of more than eight-in-ten Canadians:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57528\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM16.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM16.jpg 636w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM16-300x181.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"601\" height=\"363\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Example D, also found on Twitter:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-57529\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM17.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM17.jpg 651w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM17-300x228.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"651\" height=\"494\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Of all the examples, this one is most likely to offend Canadians. Almost nine-in-ten say it is \u201cnot okay\u201d:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57530\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM18.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM18.jpg 621w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM18-300x167.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"603\" height=\"337\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Example E, tweeted at actor Leslie Jones after the recent Ghostbusters film was released:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57531\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM19.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM19.jpg 613w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM19-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM19-400x300.jpg 400w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"602\" height=\"453\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This example is nearly as likely as the previous one to be seen as \u201cnot okay\u201d:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57532\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM20.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM20.jpg 601w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM20-300x192.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"594\" height=\"380\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps surprisingly, those who have been harassed on social media are actually more likely to say each example is \u201cokay,\u201d while people who don\u2019t use social media are the least likely to perceive each example as acceptable:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57533\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM21.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM21.jpg 785w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM21-300x148.jpg 300w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM21-768x379.jpg 768w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"701\" height=\"346\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A possible explanation for this is that people who have personally experienced one or more of the abusive behaviours canvassed in this survey are less shocked by the content of the examples than people who haven\u2019t had such experiences.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That said, it should be noted that there is a significant gender gap among those Canadians who have been harassed on social media, in terms of their reaction to the examples put forward in this survey.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Men who have been harassed on social media are considerably more likely to say each example is acceptable \u2013 fully half (51%) rate example A as \u201cokay,\u201d for instance \u2013 while women who have been harassed on social media much less likely to say this.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57534\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM22.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 689px) 100vw, 689px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM22.jpg 697w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM22-300x165.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"689\" height=\"380\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This follows a larger pattern of disagreement between men and women on what is acceptable online. Young men, especially, are more likely to say every example is \u201cokay,\u201d and often do so by huge margins compared to women their age.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On example D (the one related to sexual assault), for instance, men under age 35 are fully eight times as likely as women that age to say such postings are acceptable on social media:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57535\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM23.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM23.jpg 711w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM23-300x152.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"674\" height=\"341\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 id=\"part-4\"><strong><u>Part 4: What should be done<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Social media companies aren\u2019t doing enough<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Even if they don\u2019t use social media themselves, most Canadians say they\u2019ve at least seen some news about harassment on such platforms. Only one-in-five (20%) say they haven\u2019t seen or heard anything about it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This Angus Reid Institute poll finds Canadians with at least some awareness of the issue to be largely dissatisfied with the way social media companies have been handling abuse on their networks:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57536\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM24.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM24.jpg 711w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM24-300x165.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"676\" height=\"371\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Canadians aren\u2019t alone in thinking social media companies don\u2019t do enough to combat abuse. Both Disney and Salesforce \u2013 two companies that had expressed interest in acquiring Twitter \u2013 were reportedly turned off by the social platform\u2019s perceived poor handling of abuse.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The pervading sense that social media companies aren\u2019t doing enough parallels Canadians\u2019 views on how much those companies <em>should<\/em> be doing to address offensive content. Offered three options for how these organizations might approach offensive content, fewer than one-in-ten Canadians (9%) choose a hands-off approach. Most say companies should either \u201cbe tough\u201d by proactively searching for and removing offensive content (49%), or do something \u201cin between,\u201d responding to complaints about offensive content, but not seeking it out (42%):<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57537\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM25.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM25.jpg 654w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM25-300x133.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"626\" height=\"279\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On both of these questions, men are considerably more likely than women to favour a more laissez-faire approach to social media content. Compared to women their age, young men are especially inclined to say social media companies are already doing too much, and that they should \u201cstand back\u201d in their handling of offensive content:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57538\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM26.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM26.jpg 741w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM26-300x121.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"691\" height=\"279\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As for what consequences \u2013 if any \u2013 users who post offensive content should face, the consensus seems to be that these offenders should be given a warning and banned if they post such content a second time. Two-thirds of Canadians (64%) favour this option, compared to one-quarter (24%) who say users who share offensive content should be banned immediately, and just 12 per cent overall who say they should be left alone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57539\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM27.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM27.jpg 636w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM27-300x151.jpg 300w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"616\" height=\"311\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Again, young men take a more hands-off approach. They are more than twice as likely as young women to say users who post offensive content should \u201cbe left alone\u201d (19% versus 8%, see comprehensive tables).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Public square or private platform?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Many social media users tend to think of the internet as a public square, where people have the right to say whatever they want. Legally speaking, however, this is not the case. Social media sites are privately owned spaces that are open to the public.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The difference is subtle, but important. A truly public space \u2013 the street, a public park, the front lawn of a government building \u2013 is a place where people are guaranteed whatever freedoms (speech, assembly, religious practice, etc.) their nation protects.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A private space that is open to the public \u2013 such as a mall, a restaurant, or a golf course \u2013 offers no such guarantee. The owner of a given private space can set a code of conduct prohibiting speech or other activities it deems inappropriate, and it can remove or ban members of the public who violate that code.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Asked which of these types of spaces social media <em>ought to be<\/em> considered, most Canadians (63%) say they should be more like a private space than a public one. That said, there are significant differences of opinion on this question when looking at responses by age and gender, as seen in the graph that follows.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57540\" src=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM28.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM28.jpg 780w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM28-300x158.jpg 300w, http:\/\/angusreid.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/SM28-768x405.jpg 768w\" alt=\"social media harassment\" width=\"700\" height=\"369\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To view at source, click <a href=\"http:\/\/angusreid.org\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>October 21, 2016 \u2013 It\u2019s not something most people would feel comfortable seeing while walking down the street: One out of every four people being subjected to unwelcome comments, vicious insults, threats of violence, or worse. On Facebook or Twitter, however, this is exactly the environment that develops below even the most run-of-the-mill political stories. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[574,335,575,103,576,577,319,578],"class_list":["post-6531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tv","tag-harassed-on-social-media","tag-lgbtq","tag-minority","tag-social-media","tag-social-media-abuse","tag-syber-stalking","tag-trolls","tag-what-does-harassment-look-like"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6531\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.drjotisamra.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}