MONA, Jamaica, June 17 (IPS) – On Monday, June 20, there will be an informal high-level meeting of the United Nations to celebrate the first International Day Against Hate Speech. spoken or written expressing prejudice against a particular group, primarily based on race, religion, or sexual orientation.
As a black college student from Jamaica, especially part of Generation Z, I have experienced countless attacks in the form of hate speech. This phenomenon has grown enormously over the years, taking many different shapes and forms. A major reason for this is the advancement of technology and moreover the advent of new social media or media.
Interestingly, however, the same platforms used to immortalize hate speech can also be used to combat it in creative ways. We must realize that we are an unhappy young generation.
Because of the conflicting beliefs and views that we have around our identities, we constantly struggle to embrace each other’s uniqueness. Sadness destroys us and acts as a catalyst for hate speech. If left untreated, they lead to violent behavior.
We are often unimpressed by the power of language and do not care how harmful our words can cause. Many reasons come to mind when I think about why the infectious disease of hatred continues to spread.
A major reason is a lack of education, rooted in being socialized in a way that glorifies hatred and glorifies violence. This is not a mere observational idea but a reality for many Caribbeans – myself included – who were raised in vulnerable communities.
The sad truth is, the individuals tasked with taking care of us were raised in toxic environments and did not teach them how to properly interact with others, especially those who may be different from them.
Thus, the need to voice any displeasure is almost always done in a hateful manner. Here’s what they learned. And really, this is what they know.
It’s like a full circle: older generations teach us, their children, to show hate, and so the cycle of hate continues. While there are ways to combat this view of inciting hate speech, including through socializing organizations such as schools and churches, other stakeholders have a role to play, including the media. pine. They are needed to develop a community of emotionally intelligent and understanding people.
From a Caribbean point of view, widespread hatred for negative stereotypes emerges from our history, such as through colonization. Negative stereotypes consider certain groups or individuals as different or inferior to others.
For example, a lighter-skinned person was given a job to replace a dark-skinned woman like me. Or a man who is paid more than my friend who is an equally qualified woman.
Harmful stereotypes fuel hate speech and emerge when we see the idea that one group is superior and another is inferior. This pitted us against each other, and to reinforce this, we took to social media and made hateful comments to individuals hailing from groups deemed “inferior.” “.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is deeply ingrained in our minds, and if these tendencies are not removed, hate speech – and ultimately violence – will persist.
Hate speech is one of those problems that can affect society and develop into something worse. Hate phrases and common racist comments – language used to highlight our distaste for something or someone, has a full-blown, impactful, and dangerous effect dangerous.
Especially when many people believe them. Hate speech, if left to thrive, can lead to serious acts of violence on a large scale. And it’s no secret that hate speech contributes to hate crimes.
Therefore, we need innovative and creative ways to combat hate speech. I believe both traditional and new media can help. For example, by conceptualizing and creating educational, fun and engaging programs on television and radio for young people.
But to convince young people, they must believe that whoever is sharing this information with them understands their situation and that the story being told to them is relevant to their lives.
With cultivation theory – a theory that suggests that individuals who primarily watch television programs are more likely to perceive the real world in the way often described in television messages, we can construct argues that repeatedly showing programs that exhibit hate speech behavior is unacceptable, can have a positive effect on viewers, and can influence their behavior.
With the rise of social media, the transmission of information is as fast as the speed of light, and sadly hate speech, aka social media, follows closely behind. Never have I surfed on social media without coming across some derogatory statements. It is alarming that a person does not engage in hate speech; instead, it is often a large group of individuals — perhaps due to misconceptions and misinformation.
Creative campaigns through social media platforms can also help with this. This will not solve the problem; however, social media can be used to combat hate speech through “counterattacks”.
It is sharing digestible content that focuses on inclusivity, equality, and diversity. Imagine funny videos that teach young people how to respect disagreements with each other or ‘live’ sessions with influencers talking about their experiences with hate speech.
Live sessions with influencers using humor and creative campaigns will be quite powerful these days and can also make a statement so precise that young people are forced to listen listen and pay attention to it.
For example, much more could be done by creating codes of conduct that could somehow influence online behavior. The ultimate aim is to educate young people so that they want to be respected and not use hate speech.
I can see and envision a society filled with love, peace, and understanding. Although there is no cure for hate speech, my wish is for young people to stand up and fight against it so that this disease has no place in our society.
We must rethink and redefine our ideas about identity, gender, and race. And those who are working together to create new pressure points to tackle hate speech need to listen to the voices of young people.
The author is a social media strategist, radio host and producer, and an undergraduate student in the Integrated Marketing Communications program at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication at the Campus. Mona in Jamaica of the University of the West Indies, a member institution of the United States. The Academic Impact of Countries (UNAI).
To learn more about the issues and work the United Nations is doing to combat hate speech, visit Hate speech | United Nation. Please join the #NoToHate campaign against hate speech (please use content available here)
Source: Academic Impact of the United Nations, United Nations
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