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Social media platforms have given rise to a new form of justice: digital vigilantism. This phenomenon occurs when individuals or groups take matters into their own hands, often using online platforms to expose or punish perceived wrongdoers.
While some may see it as a way to correct injustices, it frequently leads to harassment and abuse, with women being disproportionately targeted.
Understanding Digital Vigilantism
"Digital vigilantism is a form of online activism where individuals or groups take it upon themselves to expose and punish perceived wrongdoers, often bypassing traditional legal channels."
— Danielle Citron, Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law and author of "Hate Crimes in Cyberspace"
Motivations for digital vigilantism vary. Some participants may genuinely believe they are correcting a wrong, while others are motivated by the thrill of exerting power anonymously. Regardless of the intent, the outcomes can be devastating for those on the receiving end, with consequences ranging from public humiliation to severe threats against personal safety.
The Gendered Impact
Research indicates that online harassment affects women disproportionally:
Higher Perceived Harm and Frequency: Women perceive greater harm from online harassment, particularly with non-consensual image sharing, and report higher frequencies of receiving sexually inappropriate messages, sexist remarks, and unwanted sexual attention.
Gender Differences in Harassment Types: While men may experience more harassment related to their opinions, women face more severe and aggressive harassment directed at their gender, leading to greater caution in expressing opinions publicly.
Impact on Participation and Engagement: Online harassment leads women to adopt defensive strategies such as self-censorship, withdrawal from online spaces, and changing their online behavior to avoid harassment.
Specific Vulnerabilities: Young women and female journalists are particularly vulnerable to online harassment, which often includes sexist comments, threats, and sexual violence, affecting their professional engagement and mental well-being.
Intersectionality in Harassment: Women of color, particularly Black and Latinx women, face harassment that includes racial stereotypes and xenophobic comments, compounding the negative impact of online abuse.
Several forms of digital harassment specifically target women:
Slut-Shaming: Women who are seen as violating societal norms around sexuality often face intense scrutiny and abuse online. This might involve anything from the unauthorized sharing of intimate images to criticism of their appearance.
Doxxing: Sharing personal details like addresses and phone numbers is a common tactic used to intimidate women, especially those who speak out on feminist issues or challenge patriarchal norms.
Revenge Porn: The non-consensual sharing of intimate images is a particularly malicious way digital vigilantes punish women, often with the goal of causing maximum emotional harm.
Gamergate: When 'Ethics' Became a Weapon
GamerGate, a controversy that erupted in 2014, serves as a stark illustration of the complexities and dangers associated with online vigilantism. Initially sparked by allegations of unethical conduct in the video game industry, GamerGate rapidly devolved into a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed primarily at women in the gaming community.
The catalyst for GamerGate was a blog post accusing indie game developer Zoe Quinn of exchanging sexual favors for positive game reviews. While these allegations were never substantiated, they triggered a wave of online harassment against Quinn, including the dissemination of her private information and death threats.
This incident rapidly escalated into a broader movement, with self-proclaimed "GamerGaters" adopting the mantle of combating perceived corruption and ethical breaches in the video game industry. The movement then morphed into a campaign of harassment directed at women in gaming, including developers Brianna Wu and Anita Sarkeesian, who had been vocal critics of sexism in video games.
The harassment took various forms, including coordinated online attacks, doxxing and swatting (falsely reporting a crime to trigger a police response). These attacks forced many to flee their homes, abandon their careers, and endure significant emotional distress.
GamerGate provided several critical insights into the nature of digital vigilantism:
The ease of anonymity and coordination: Online platforms offer a cloak of anonymity, enabling individuals to engage in harassment without fear of immediate consequences. This anonymity, coupled with the ability to coordinate attacks across various platforms, creates a potent environment for targeted harassment.
The blurring of lines between activism and harassment: The GamerGate movement initially presented itself as a campaign for ethical reform in the gaming industry. However, this narrative quickly devolved into a pretext for harassment and intimidation, highlighting the challenges of distinguishing between legitimate activism and malicious online behavior.
The vulnerability of individuals: Women in the gaming industry were disproportionately targeted during GamerGate, highlighting the particular vulnerability of individuals who challenge prevailing norms or speak out against discrimination.
Consequences for Women and Society
The impact of gendered digital vigilantism is profound. Women who experience this type of harassment may feel compelled to withdraw from online spaces, effectively silencing their voices. This retreat not only reinforces existing gender inequalities but also diminishes the diversity of voices in public discourse.
The psychological toll on victims is severe. Many experience anxiety, depression, and in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The intensity of the abuse has even led some to take their own lives.
Addressing the Problem
To combat misogyny in digital vigilantism, several steps can be taken:
Legal Protections: Updating laws to better protect individuals from online harassment is crucial. This includes criminalizing actions like doxxing and revenge porn.
Platform Responsibility: Social media companies need to enforce policies against harassment more effectively. This involves using technology to identify and remove abusive content and providing better support for those targeted.
Education and Awareness: Raising public awareness about the harms of digital vigilantism and promoting a culture of respect online can help reduce incidents of gendered harassment.
Support for Victims: Offering legal, psychological, and social support to those who have been targeted is essential for helping them recover and reclaim their online presence.
Moving Forward
Digital vigilantism, when fueled by misogyny, becomes a tool of oppression rather than justice. Recognizing this issue and taking steps to address it is vital for creating a safer online environment for women. As technology continues to advance, it is important to remain vigilant against new forms of abuse that may arise.
Resources
Hate Crimes in Cyberspace by Danielle Citron: This book discusses the complexities of online harassment and explores the legal and social implications of digital vigilantism. Citron offers insights into the motivations behind such actions and proposes strategies for combating online abuse.
Introducing Vigilant Audiences edited by Daniel Trottier, Rashid Gabdulhakov, and Qian Huang: This collection of essays explores the phenomenon of digital vigilantism from various angles, examining its motivations, methods, and consequences. It offers a global perspective, with case studies from different cultures and contexts.
Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and Its Human Fallout by Ginger Gorman: Gorman, a journalist and victim of online harassment, provides a personal and insightful look into the world of online trolls and the devastating impact they can have on individuals and communities. While not exclusively about vigilantism, it sheds light on the toxic online behaviors that can fuel such actions.
References
Im, J., Schoenebeck, S., Iriarte, M., Grill, G., Wilkinson, D., Batool, A., Alharbi, R., Funwie, A., Gankhuu, T., Gilbert, E., & Naseem, M. (2022). Women's Perspectives on Harm and Justice after Online Harassment. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6, 1 - 23. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555775.
Salerno-Ferraro, A., Erentzen, C., & Schuller, R. (2021). Young Women’s Experiences With Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence From Male Strangers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37, NP17860 - NP17885. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211030018.
Nadim, M., & Fladmoe, A. (2019). Silencing Women? Gender and Online Harassment. Social Science Computer Review, 39, 245 - 258. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439319865518.
Cuenca-Piqueras, C., Fernández-Prados, J., & González-Moreno, M. (2020). Face-to-Face Versus Online Harassment of European Women: Importance of Date and Place of Birth. Sexuality & Culture, 24, 157-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-019-09632-4.
Chadha, K., Steiner, L., Vitak, J., & Ashktorab, Z. (2020). Women’s Responses to Online Harassment. International Journal of Communication, 14, 19.
Vitak, J., Chadha, K., Steiner, L., & Ashktorab, Z. (2017). Identifying Women's Experiences With and Strategies for Mitigating Negative Effects of Online Harassment. Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. https://doi.org/10.1145/2998181.2998337.
Lewis, S., Zamith, R., & Coddington, M. (2020). Online Harassment and Its Implications for the Journalist–Audience Relationship. Digital Journalism, 8, 1047 - 1067. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1811743.
Chen, G., Pain, P., Chen, V., Mekelburg, M., Springer, N., & Troger, F. (2020). ‘You really have to have a thick skin’: A cross-cultural perspective on how online harassment influences female journalists. Journalism, 21, 877 - 895. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918768500.
Fox, J., & Tang, W. (2017). Women’s experiences with general and sexual harassment in online video games: Rumination, organizational responsiveness, withdrawal, and coping strategies. New Media & Society, 19, 1290 - 1307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816635778.
Francisco, S., & Felmlee, D. (2021). What Did You Call Me? An Analysis of Online Harassment Towards Black and Latinx Women. Race and Social Problems, 14, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12552-021-09330-7.
Gamergate (harassment campaign) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_(harassment_campaign)
Zoë Quinn: What Happened After GamerGate Hacked Me https://time.com/4927076/zoe-quinn-gamergate-doxxing-crash-override-excerpt/
I Wish I Could Tell You It’s Gotten Better. It Hasn’t. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/15/opinion/brianna-wu-gamergate.html
Anita Sarkeesian Hates Talking About Gamergate—but She Has To https://www.wired.com/story/anita-sarkeesian-gamergate-that-time-when/
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