Addressing Social Media Harm in the Internet Age
Co-sponsored by IMSA and the UC Berkeley Restorative Justice Center
In a time when everyone is accessing the internet moment by moment, we at the School of Information and Restorative Justice Center have come up against a new challenge: how do we address social media’s role in harm and conflict? Hate speech is often disseminated and spread through social media. It escalates harm and conflict by increasing the visibility of the initial conflict and including a broader range of commentators. This leaves the original individuals engaged in the conflict hurt and confused for days on end, with a permanent record of the harm they inflicted or the harm they received visible on their social media newsfeeds. Social media can also give voice to those who might not otherwise have the ability to create counter-narratives to the hate speech they are exposed to online or in daily life.
Looking for answers? Please join us for a series of restorative conversations to brainstorm how we can address social media harm in our communities.