{"id":79,"date":"2020-12-13T17:33:18","date_gmt":"2020-12-13T17:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/comm601\/chapter\/hate-speech-free-speech-and-anonymity\/"},"modified":"2024-10-23T14:04:28","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T14:04:28","slug":"hate-speech-free-speech-and-anonymity","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.usnh.edu\/com680\/chapter\/hate-speech-free-speech-and-anonymity\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 7 \u2013 Hate Speech, Free Speech, and Anonymity","rendered":"Chapter 7 \u2013 Hate Speech, Free Speech, and Anonymity"},"content":{"raw":"Below are two dialog excerpts taken from different social media systems where commenters weighed in on the issue of anonymity.\r\n\r\nSample #1<\/strong>: An exchange found on a baseball team fan site, 2023.\r\n

Commenter 1:<\/strong> The negative fan behavior is just one symptom of a bigger societal problem. People on social media, Twitter, comments boards of other websites, use their anonymity to destroy other people. It happens all the time to celebrities. Blame the smartphones. People are disconnected from actual reality. They don't appreciate the difficulty in what the players do.<\/p>\r\n

Commenter 3:<\/strong> I spent 30 years living in Philadelphia. Sports talk was always brutal but it's child's play compared to social media. Social media is a plague.<\/p>\r\n

Commenter 4, in reply to Commenter 3:<\/strong> 30 Years in Philly? When'd you get out of jail? Sports talk is a head cold compared to the cancer of social media.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\nSample #2<\/strong>: An exchange between commenters in a Substack post<\/a> concerning the author's iron-fisted policy for removing trolls.\r\n

Commenter 1<\/strong>: Yep, and let\u2019s add zero anonymity. Put your real name next to your words. We want your personality and wisdom to shine here, not your hidden ID puking all over the place. Well-meaning people, patriots and persons of candor don\u2019t hide from the sunshine.<\/p>\r\n

Commenter 2, in reply to Commenter 1<\/strong>: I actually disagree with this. Anonymity can sometimes make it easier for people to speak more candidly. Sometimes people have opinions that wouldn't be welcome in their social network, even though their opinions might be very insightful. I want to hear those opinions! Different people come here for different reasons, and under different circumstances.<\/p>\r\n

It's also a logical fallacy to discount what someone says based on who they are. It's better to let words speak for themselves, regardless of who says them, or whether they have remained anonymous or not.<\/p>\r\n

As long as they follow the rules of engagement (e.g. no ad hominem attacks), they should be welcome.<\/p>\r\n

Commenter 3, in reply to Commenter 1:<\/strong> Some people are in the public eye and have a giant target on their back with a lot to lose. I take it you [Commenter 1] have the luxury of not living like that. Good for you, but have empathy for those who are not in the same circumstance as you. If someone is anonymous and follows the rules, what is the problem exactly?<\/p>\r\n

Commenter 4, in reply to Commenter 3<\/strong>: I agree with you [Commenter 3]. We want conditions to reward candid and constructive discussion. I think [the author's] very welcome \u201cno troll\u201d policy protects the forum from the worst aspects of anonymity. Forcing everybody to \u201cout\u201d themselves will surely silence some legitimate voices.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Overview<\/h2>\r\nIn this chapter's readings and media, you will see a scientific study about the Online Disinhibition Effect<\/strong>, which explains how a person's social behavior can be different when posting online anonymously.\r\n\r\nWhen you consider the negative impact of trolling, you may be wondering why there isn't a global initiative to eliminate anonymous communication all together. Shouldn't the social media companies be held accountable?\r\n\r\nOn the other side of the issue, you will examine the\u00a0social and political benefits<\/i> to being anonymous. There is a strong case to suggest that, without anonymity, there would be a chilling effect on the expression of free speech, which we believe is a cornerstone of democracy. In fact, the Chinese government now requires top influencers on Weibo<\/a> to use their real names to monitor who is posting \"controversial\" content.\r\n\r\nConnected to all of this is the American cultural expectation of free speech - a right stipulated in the U.S. Constitution, though often misinterpreted within the context of corporate control of speech on their platforms.\r\n

Key Terms<\/h2>\r\nPseudonym<\/b> \u2013 A username that is not the user's actual identity.\r\n

What should you be focusing on?<\/h2>\r\nYour objectives in this module are:\r\n