Saturday, October 18, 2014

Public Discourse, Activism & Avoiding the Spread of Online Hate

I'm attending the "Discourse & Dynamics - Canadian Women as Public Intellectuals" conference.

I've learned that activism means creating a positive dialouge that includes a language that is friendly and comfortable for the publics you are trying to reach ... versus creating an us against them mentality that includes policing & confronting, and becoming a public lynch mob that crucifies others (whether individuals, businesses, organizations or government) when they disagree and don't conform to the activist groups ideals.

Given some of the extreme activism we've seen in Prince Edward Island, its concerning the amount of animosity and hate that's being generated by these activist groups, where they are fostering / cultivating a toxic atmosphere amongst the publics they are engaging. Rather than being a part of the solution, they're creating a major divide that feeds negativity and abuse.

This is being lead by adults which makes it more concerning because many organizations are working with youth to stop the spread of online violence, hate and misinformation that's created by bias.

How do we expect children and youth to behave appropriately online when all around them, there are grown adults fostering online hate against others?