Since the dawn of the Internet, there has been a steady rise in the amount of harassment done behind the keyboard. A new study finds that this trend isn’t going anywhere, and a solution to curbing the amount of online harassment is troubling. Since the Internet is a great way to share presentations to the global audience, do not rethink posting yours to avoid hateful speech. Here’s how you can deal with online harassment of your presentation.
The Pew Research Center compiled a study which asked survey respondents their thoughts on if the Internet will be shaped by harassment. The survey found that 42% said the internet would not change. 39% said the Internet would be “more shaped” by online harassment. And only 19% said the Internet would be “less shaped” by online harassment.
The future of online harassment seems to be alive and well. The research group also found that as more and more people are joining social media platforms, online harassment will remain. But finding a solution for stopping online harassment is problematic. It would require government and businesses to put surveillance on online users and suppress their free speech.
If you have time to read through the entire Pew Research article, I would recommend it. But for now, I will tell you how to handle any sort of trolling or online harassment when it comes to your presentation.
Resist the Urge to Fight Back
I know it may be difficult to contain any anger you will have from a stranger trying to undermine your work; but refrain from getting into an argument with the person where everyone can see it. This will only make you look bad and give the stranger the satisfaction that they want. It’s best to ignore the comment or delete it from your website.
Look for Repeat Offenders
Sometimes the same person will repeatedly log onto your website and harass other users for no reason. If you notice this happening in the comment section of your presentation, you should take action and block that user.
Welcome Healthy Debates
Not all commenters want to start fights. Some have valid points and want to have a conversation. It makes you look more interactive with your community if you respond in a professional and polite manner.
Know the Difference Between Free Speech and Hate Speech
I spent 3 years working in the news industry and one of my responsibilities was monitoring social media posts. We enforced a guideline that allowed users to voice their thoughts and opinions in our comments, but did not tolerate hate speech of any kind. So anyone who posted something offensive like name calling or threats got their comment deleted. You can do the same thing for your website with a disclaimer somewhere near your comment section that clearly state what type of language will or will not be tolerated.
The bad news is online harassment will not be disappearing anytime soon. But the good news is that you can take control over it. Sharing your presentations online is a vital way to expand your audience. And you can further engage with your audience through the comment section of your website. Just be weary of the Internet trollers who want to get the best of you. Don’t allow them that satisfaction.
Related Posts:
How to Market Your Webinar on Social Media
How Do I Handle Hecklers in my Audience [Video]
How to Deal with Online Harassment of Your Presentation
Since the dawn of the Internet, there has been a steady rise in the amount of harassment done behind the keyboard. A new study finds that this trend isn’t going anywhere, and a solution to curbing the amount of online harassment is troubling. Since the Internet is a great way to share presentations to the global audience, do not rethink posting yours to avoid hateful speech. Here’s how you can deal with online harassment of your presentation.
The Pew Research Center compiled a study which asked survey respondents their thoughts on if the Internet will be shaped by harassment. The survey found that 42% said the internet would not change. 39% said the Internet would be “more shaped” by online harassment. And only 19% said the Internet would be “less shaped” by online harassment.
The future of online harassment seems to be alive and well. The research group also found that as more and more people are joining social media platforms, online harassment will remain. But finding a solution for stopping online harassment is problematic. It would require government and businesses to put surveillance on online users and suppress their free speech.
If you have time to read through the entire Pew Research article, I would recommend it. But for now, I will tell you how to handle any sort of trolling or online harassment when it comes to your presentation.
Resist the Urge to Fight Back
I know it may be difficult to contain any anger you will have from a stranger trying to undermine your work; but refrain from getting into an argument with the person where everyone can see it. This will only make you look bad and give the stranger the satisfaction that they want. It’s best to ignore the comment or delete it from your website.
Look for Repeat Offenders
Sometimes the same person will repeatedly log onto your website and harass other users for no reason. If you notice this happening in the comment section of your presentation, you should take action and block that user.
Welcome Healthy Debates
Not all commenters want to start fights. Some have valid points and want to have a conversation. It makes you look more interactive with your community if you respond in a professional and polite manner.
Know the Difference Between Free Speech and Hate Speech
I spent 3 years working in the news industry and one of my responsibilities was monitoring social media posts. We enforced a guideline that allowed users to voice their thoughts and opinions in our comments, but did not tolerate hate speech of any kind. So anyone who posted something offensive like name calling or threats got their comment deleted. You can do the same thing for your website with a disclaimer somewhere near your comment section that clearly state what type of language will or will not be tolerated.
The bad news is online harassment will not be disappearing anytime soon. But the good news is that you can take control over it. Sharing your presentations online is a vital way to expand your audience. And you can further engage with your audience through the comment section of your website. Just be weary of the Internet trollers who want to get the best of you. Don’t allow them that satisfaction.
Related Posts:
How to Market Your Webinar on Social Media
How Do I Handle Hecklers in my Audience [Video]
Stephanie Fulton
Stephanie Fulton
Join our newsletter today!