Online Hate Speech - The New Trend?

    “Tweet others the way you want to be Tweeted”-Germany Kent, probably is the contemporary way of inculcating manners and etiquette in people. Change is the only constant characteristic. In today’s age of constantly adapting to online platforms, have we given in to hatred spread online vigorously?

    Young people are connected on the internet more than ever before and this comes with its own set of boon and bane. One of the primary concerns of online hatred is, teenagers and youth tend to take the Internet as the immediate source of information, entertainment etc. when this platform is filled with hate language, how do we expect the next generation to turn out better than us? This directly affects their self-esteem, self-worth and has extreme negative impacts on their mental well-being, leading to a rise in the number of reports of depression and anxiety.

    Does freedom of speech and expression give us the right to express our views and hate on the lives of our fellow humans? With the growing use of technology, humanity has lost the “human”. The comment sections of celebrities are so overwhelming for a normal person to read; imagine being in the eyes of hundred people and posting a picture from your vacation, only to get a hundred different personal opinions on what you should and should not be doing, wearing, eating and if you post about how you feel, it would be a different scene altogether- “You have all the money in the world, why do you have the need to feel sad or depressed”. Just because the individual chooses to put their lives in the eyes of public, what or who give the public the right to throw their views of lives on someone else. Would they like it if the same happened to them? It’s a clear no, yet, people think that they have the right of the lives of others online.

    Research shows, over half (53%) of UK adult internet users reported seeing hateful content online in 2018, an increase from 47% in 2017. In 2016, 34% of 12-15-year old recalled seeing hateful content online. This figure increases to 45% in 2018. Out of those who witnessed online hate, less than half took action. Why is it that people fear reporting online hate? It is certainly a thing to be scared of. Undoubtedly, online hate turns into real-life violence. We should not kid ourselves that online hate stays online.

    India prohibits hate speech by several sections of the Indian Penal Code. They are- section 124A, Section 153A or Section 153B, Section 292 or Section 293, Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

    Martin Luther King.Jr has rightly said- "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate"

    Have we humans become so insensitive? So many questions unanswered and yet some of us continue to do the unanswered, for a mere one- or two-minute pleasure. As it goes, people tend to do the things that are restricted, go on saying “rules are meant to be broken”, but all this at the cost of someone’s mental health? Just to look cool?

    We can and must work together to bring back the sanity and make the Internet a safer and a much better place for our fellow mates, before it is too late. Let’s work towards restoring faith in humanity!

    Ananya Swarup
    Ananya Swarup

    I try to find peace and happiness in every aspect of life and the work I do. I love challenging myself to go out of my comfort zone sometimes.