Today hate speech is part of daily life on social networks, but what many studies have underlined is that minorities suffer the most
It was nothing short of ironic that, in the month of commemoration of International Women’s Day, headlines and social media was picked up on discussions of misogynistic groups and their attacks on women.
The debate was sparked by the coach’s threats of masculinity Thiago Schutz for the actress Livia La Gattowho had mocked on social networks the prejudice and hatred expressed by him and by others who adhere to masculinist movements such as red pills.
Referring to the movie ‘The Matrix’, the idea of the red pills is that by opting for the red pill, they would renounce social illusions and thus, awaken to the true reality that sees women as the great villains of society.
Reinforcing misogynistic stereotypes, according to this masculinist view, women are selfish, profiteering and, therefore, should remain in their place of subjection to men.
We know that hate speech is now part of daily life on social networks, but what many studies have underlined is that minorities suffer more than others.
According to reports received by the NGO Safernet, 67% of victims of hate speech in digital environments are women and 59% are people of color. What are the factors in the Brazilian digital ecosystem that help us understand the amplification of this hate towards women online?
Brazil is a historically sexist society
In 2021, Brazil ranked 5th in the world ranking of feminicides according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which reveals a profoundly sexist trait of our society that is also reflected in the dynamics of social networks in the country.
In the 2022 election year, hate crimes grew as much as 650% in the first half of the year at its National Denunciation Center, according to data from Safernet. In this growth, the most reported crime was misogyny, with 7096 cases.
The rise of the far right in Brazil and the misogynistic attacks
As PUC-MG researcher Bruna Camilo points out, the growth of these male-dominated groups cannot be dissociated from the rise of the far right in a global and local context.
In Brazil, the Bolsonarista far right incorporates sexist, misogynistic and patriarchal perspectives, which have long existed in the country, but which have been continuously authorized by statements from the former president himself.
Before and during his tenure, Bolsonaro held several rallies to demean women, such as cases involving attacks on federal deputy Maria do Rosário (PT-RS) and journalist Vera Magalhães during the debate in the 2022 elections.
As democracy erodes, it is no surprise that violence against women who are important pillars of democracy, such as women in journalism and politics, are on the rise, who tend to be even more prominent targets for online hate speech.
The survey “Map of gender-based political violence on digital platforms” was recently published, conducted by the Research Laboratory in Communication, Political Cultures and the Economy of Collaboration (coLAB), of the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), which presents a cross-platform analysis of political gender violence in Brazil.
According to the study, of the contents analyzed in six months by female MPs with an active mandate, 9% show signs of discursive violence, with 41% of the attacks being insults, 26.6% invalidations and 24.5% criticisms.
According to the MonitorA project, by AzMina and Internetlab, “crazy, crazy, crazy” is the main way of addressing female candidates for executive and legislative positions in the 2022 elections.
A survey conducted by Reporters Without Borders and the Institute for Technology & Society (ITS Rio) showed that female journalists were mentioned 13 times more in Twitter posts that contained anti-press hashtags.
In another analysis by several third sector organizations of attacks on journalism with Twitter data, it was shown that attacks on female journalists take into account their bodies and intellectualities and tend to insinuate that women are unable to practice their profession.
Business model based on engagement and algorithmic bubbles
This data is frightening, but unfortunately not surprising, given that the very architecture of the platforms favors the circulation of this type of attack.
Although hate speech is prohibited in several policies of major social media platforms, the business model of these major technologies based on user engagement inevitably benefits from controversy and attacks.
Furthermore, the complex discursive nuances of online crime often escape automated forms of content moderation. Another evidence from the Map of Gender-Based Political Violence on Digital Platforms, for example, is that satire and provocative humor are present in around 30% of offensive messages, suggesting that humor can be used to camouflage hate with a facetious and ironic tone, making content moderation even more difficult.
The effect of algorithmic bubbles contributes to the amplification of hate not only because it targets content for groups with similar profiles, but also favors the strengthening of the social bond based on each other’s hate. Thus, male users tend to consume more sexist content and also identify and join like-minded groups and communities.
Sexist digital influencers and the monetization of masculinism
The sexist statements of the authorities have not only authorized prejudiced and misogynistic speeches by their supporters, but have also favored the consolidation of online communities around these same speeches.
Authorities like Bolsonaro are also great digital influencers, which allows for great visibility of this type of discourse on the networks. Not only he, but other influencers have also grown up around violent statements against women and other minority groups.
The visibility and reach of some influencers ended up generating new business opportunities such as courses and mentoring aimed at guiding men and their behavior towards women. This further strengthened the communities of resentful men united around anger towards women. Not even conservative women escape this frustrated feeling that the female gender is being diminished again.
It nullifies culture and its special damage to the reputation of women
Finally, cancel culture is another major facet of the online ecosystem that hates women. While it’s not something that only affects women, online unsubscribing, manifested by angry and negative statements on social media directed at a person, tends to be particularly harmful to women.
It is not uncommon for women to be canceled for much less than men, being judged by the “internet court” for attitudes in personal relationships, for their way of dressing or behaving, for their physique and for their sexuality.
According to data on gender-based violence on the internet in Brazil, women are the main victims, with 70.5% of cases of sexting and exposure of intimate content for revenge.
These factors are not exhaustive, but they make us wonder what it means to be a woman today in this context and what the challenges are.
Machismo and misogyny have existed for much longer than the Internet, but technologies also end up incorporating social prejudices and transforming these phenomena. It is especially revolting for a woman to see these masculinist groups articulated and empowered by platforms that profit from the hate they heap upon us.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
