Study: The Internet Is Still Full of Assholes
Source: Gizmodo
A nationally-representative study on online harassment released by Pew Research today confirms what most of us already know: the internet is absolutely chock full of abusive shitheads.
The study leads with an alarming figure: 40 percent of internet users have been the target of abusive behavior online. That number climbs to 67 percent for young people between the ages of 18 and 29, who are more likely to spend considerable time each day on the internet. And while Pew’s findings reveal that men are targeted somewhat more often, women—especially young women—make up an outsized proportion of users who experience the most severe forms of harassment, like stalking and threats.
Are these surprising findings? No. Most people who are frequently online know these things intuitively. It’s why countless articles have been written and countless grassroots campaigns have been started calling for better user protections, sometimes resulting in a new feature or Terms of Use amendment on one platform or another. It would follow that better user tracking, new anti-abuse features, and algorithmic tweaks to weed out low-value interactions would all be working to make the internet safer and friendlier.
Cont’d.
LINK:
http://gizmodo.com/study-the-internet-is-still-full-of-assholes-1796820616