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MNHQ

'Reclaim the internet' - how to create a more woman-friendly online culture

42 replies

KateMumsnet · 26/05/2016 09:42

Hey all

Justine's speaking today at a conference organised by 'Reclaim the Internet', a cross-party campaign which aims to tackle the growing problem of online abuse, and in particular, misogyny on social media.

To mark the launch of the campaign, Demos conducted research into the 'staggering scale' of the problem by monitoring the use of the words 'slut' or 'whore' by UK Twitter users. They found that 6,500 people were targeted by 10,000 such tweets in the space of three weeks - pretty appalling, but alas, not terribly surprising.

The campaign is canvassing suggestions for ways to make the internet a better place for everyone - and as we know from experience that MNers have a lot to say about how to create a more woman-friendly internet culture, we thought we'd ask for your views. There's a campaign forum over here, or you can leave your thoughts here on the thread and we'll feed them into the consultation.

Thanks all

MNHQ

OP posts:
TwoLeftSocks · 26/05/2016 17:15

I know its just down to wording but I'd much sooner it was billed as a reducing-the-number-of-jerks-online-campaign rather than a women-friendly-campaign. It's a good idea though.

I think anonymity is key. While out can be great (esp on here) to talk about very private matters, it can also give people a perceived shield from behind which they can be complete arseholes. Not sure what the answer is there.

Egosumquisum · 26/05/2016 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Farahilda · 26/05/2016 16:53

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36380247

The BBC version highlights how much of the misogynistic content is posted by women.

So who is going to decide when women can be silenced? Because it's all going to end up as a subjective mess, isn't it?

MrsJayy · 26/05/2016 15:34

Tbh i think maybe looking at mumsnet threads where women are bashing other women would be a good start

HisNameWasPrinceAndHeWasFunky · 26/05/2016 14:50

That's not surprising and I don't think anyone is claiming it's just men who are abusive online. Women can be misogynists too!

Egosumquisum · 26/05/2016 14:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 26/05/2016 14:43

Erm, the research being referenced showed that women were responsible for 50% of the misogynistic abuse....

www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/05/26/women-are-responsible-for-half-of-online-abuse-study-finds/

BIWI · 26/05/2016 14:29

Well yes, exactly - that's what I was meaning - treatment like human beings.

But I'm well aware that this could risk being the whole menz argument so I'll shut up now, as I a) don't support that AT ALL! and b) isn't what I was meaning to articulate

TendonQueen · 26/05/2016 14:26

It's not so much requiring special treatment as requiring treatment like human beings, not objects of contempt. Read the Guardian story about their analysis of the comments to women - not men - on their site and the problem should become clearer.

HisNameWasPrinceAndHeWasFunky · 26/05/2016 14:21

It does a bit BIWI Grin

Have you read the Guardian analysis of their comments? - www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/25/yvette-cooper-leads-cross-party-campaign-against-online-abuse

BIWI · 26/05/2016 14:11

My visceral reaction to your thread title interested me.

Why make it more 'woman-friendly'? That rather implies that as women we require special treatment and so, in a way, is rather a patronising statement, surely?

Why not make the internet 'human friendly'?

I'm not trying to write a 'wot about the menz' post, although I realise it probably sounds like that.

HisNameWasPrinceAndHeWasFunky · 26/05/2016 11:54

So pleased that this is being addressed. Following with interest.

FlouncyMcFlounceFace · 26/05/2016 11:43

There needs to be some sort of coordinated internet standards rather like the telecom standards of years ago.

People who were found to be abusing their phone use could be disconnected or suspended by their provider. It would be lovely for providers to have a suspension system. For example posters/ tweeters etc repeatedly reported should have their internet via the media they've used be it mobile or home suspended. We'd all have to pay a bit more for this though.

I know that people have access via multiple medias and access from different countries but theres a big hassle and cost factor in running multiple sources.

The police could still investigate criminal elements but lots of attacks dont appear to meet their thresholds and their resources are already stretched dealing with physical crime that we have to have thresholds or be prepared to pay much more.

YouAreMyRain · 26/05/2016 11:12

The police should start taking it seriously.

Female comedian Kate Smurthwaite gets tonnes of abuse on social media and the police won't act.

link

eyebrowsonfleek · 26/05/2016 10:58

I wonder if things would improve if the real life identities of people who make rape threats etc are made public.

eyebrowsonfleek · 26/05/2016 10:57

I think we are going to see more incidents like GamerGate.

I have teenagers. I have tried to impress on them how what they type in messages and online is permanent and unless you know the person on the receiving end, there's no way to convey tone the way that you can face to face. It's so easy to type something that you'd never say in real life.

If my son was sending misogynistic messages or rape threats, I'd like to know. I'd be happy for the police to get involved. He's 15 so "talks big" and is impulsive so I worry that he could type that sort of shit.

My daughter is also a teen. Her online activities are social media with friends and Buzzfeed quizzes. Hopefully she has no idea about how dark the Internet can be but she reports that at school, girls have to put up with listening to some boys make crude, sexual comments. In y7 (first year secondary) she was in art and she heard a boy who was "normal" in primary ask another girl how often she fingered herself.

SpookyRachel · 26/05/2016 09:54

I think this is a really important issue. It's appalling that so many individual women are targeted and abused. People say, just step away from social media, but as The Guardian's 'the web we want' campaign showed, it's also affecting people's livelihoods. I was particularly struck by the Guardian's finding that, of the ten columnists who received the most online abuse, eight were women (of the men, one was black and one was gay).

But it's not just about individual victims. Online is a public space, and it's completely unacceptable for our daughters to be learning that if they speak up in a way that someone else doesn't like in an online space, they can be abused and threatened with rape.