What is The Silencing Effect?
The Silencing Effect isn’t just about hurt feelings. When women are constantly under attack, they start to self-censor. They avoid speaking up on important issues, sharing their ideas, or even just having fun online. This stifles diversity of thought and creates a less diverse, equal and vibrant online experience for everyone.
Some of the diverse ways women are targeted online include: Experiencing threats, misinformation, harassment, defamation, doxxing and discrimination, often leading to safety concerns for themselves and their families.
As a society we need to explore ways to combat online abuse, from reporting, to building supportive online communities, and individual digital resilience.
It’s time to reclaim online spaces, and create respectful and positive environments for all. It’s time to create a world where women can raise their voices without fear, and a place where we all the ask the question – what am I going to do about it?