Reactions to Online Hate: The Influence of Social Identities and Routines

• In Event: 2264 - Internet and Society: Hate, Inequality, and the Digital Divide

Abstract

Why do people respond differently to encountering hate material online? We use a random sample of Americans, ages 15 - 36, to address this question. Descriptive results indicate that a majority of respondents found online hate material very or extremely disturbing, while smaller shares found it moderately, slightly, or not at all disturbing. We utilize an ordinal logistic regression to explore factors associated with these varying reactions. Results demonstrate that men and political conservatives find hate material less disturbing than women and political moderates or liberals. These results are expected, as online hate is largely dominated by rightwing extremists who frequently target women and non-conservatives. We also find that individuals who see hate material more frequently find it more disturbing, as do those who have been the target of hate or criminality online. Finally, individuals who are more accepting of violating social norms are less disturbed by online hate.

Authors

• Matthew Costello, Clemson University

• James E. Hawdon, Virginia Tech University

• Colin Bernatzky, University of California - Irvine