Social Media
Social media (aka Web 2.0) was a narrowly understood term when it first rose to popularity in the early 2000s; but there is almost no aspect of life today that is not connected to its existence. Given this understanding, it would be fair to define social media as an interactive, user-driven Internet platform that allows for
connections between multiple users who comprise the social network. The umbrella of social media is essentially an expansion of our “real world” relationships and the communications that take place within the online space (Table 1.1 outlines the most popular types of social media used today). The consequence is we now exist as a continuum within multiple spheres, comprising both our in-person existence and our online practices. What we do online has a very real impact on our day-to-day lives.
Today, social media forums are infused with discourse of society’s most pressing issues – racism, oppression, and inequity. Take an inventory of the most memorable topics that trended on social media in the past few years and you’ll notice the thread of racial justice overlap each of the topics: police brutality, the Capitol riots, the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, professional athletic teams protesting for racial justice. It’s common to witness online dialogues about these incidents that range from op-ed pieces advocating for policies that address structural racism or thought pieces by scholars wondering how we can really make Black Lives Matter. But the intellectual content, online discourse, and personal reflections about racial equity are almost always accompanied by the inevitable toxicity of unrelenting aggressions and overt racism.
Researchers in education, psychology, sociology, and human development have all documented the rise of hateful and often racialized communications on social media as everyday behaviors that are quickly becoming normalized and often overlooked as occasional offenses. These scholars have also hypothesized that the social relationships, courtesies, and inhibitions that would
otherwise restrict bigoted behaviors in the face-to-face environment are noticeably absent in online spaces, which invites and harbors the emergence of racially insensitive behaviors on social media. Recently, these racially-based communications have been termed “racialized aggressions” and have been identified within nearly every social media
platform today. The reality is that social media is a haven for these behaviors to proliferate given the lack of accountability that exists in these ecosystems and the ease with which someone can remain anonymous.
These aggressive and offensive displays of bigotry are not confined to personal Twitter or Facebook pages. Have you ever watched a video on YouTube and browsed through the comments? Used a dating app to meet someone new and opened up your DMs for anyone to contact you? Posted an Op/Ed on LinkedIn about workplace equity and asked what your connections thought? If you have, chances are you’ve quickly realized how easily offensive and hateful content manifests on these platforms.
Aggressions on Social Media
Racialized hate has become so commonplace on every social media that the Pew Research Center has reported such harassment is now a regular feature of these online platforms and more importantly, these communications are
The reality is that social media is a haven for these behaviors to proliferate given the lack of accountability that exists in these ecosystems and the ease with which someone can remain anonymous.
countryside, in any place outside of a major city
really, it becomes the preoccupation of your life. You are vested, invested, in the property and its success. And that investment extends to the community around you.
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