Curbing hate speech on social media

IT is on record that the social media is rife with hate speech. Today, one of the growing trends on the social media all over the world is the dissemination of hate speech. Indeed, social media fell into the trap of reporting this menace. In Nigeria today, despite the benefits that come with the social media, it is also promoting disunity, igniting crises and triggering hatred among members of the society. This phenomenon has become a cankerworm that is refusing to go, creating pathways for insulting those in power or minority groups, or demeaning of individuals who are particularly visible in the society. Countering tribe-based hate speech begins by a realisation that while freedom of expression is a fundamental right, the emergence of social media has created multiple platforms for the production, packaging and dissemination of hate speech. In Nigeria today, instead of the social media promoting the roles of peacemakers, it is promoting disunity, igniting crises and triggering hatred among members of the society.

The advent of social media has amplified citizen journalism; everyone has become a reporter today. The emerging trend of the new media has broadened the battlefield in combating the hate speech saga. The new media has established an ideal platform to adapt and spread hate speech and foul language speedily because of its decentralised, anonymous and interactive structure. Hate speech and fake news are accelerating on the social media and infringing on political and national issues as well as social interaction in Nigeria. The amount of hate speech and vulgar language, especially on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, among other online platforms, is becoming worrisome.

• Hate speech: No to death by hanging

With the creation of the social media today, the essence of journalism is arrested. This is because apart from undermining the ethics of journalism profession, hate speech is contributing in expanding disaffection among tribes, political class, and religion or even among friends in the society. The Nigerian public is inundated with negative media usage such as character assassination and negative political campaigns at the expense of dissemination of issues that can help them to make informed choices. Today, the picture of harmonious interaction has been shattered as a result of steady escalation of hate speech on social media.

This is an alarming and unfortunate turn of events for which the logical question to ask would be: Is hate speech free speech? In assessing some of the comments and reactions that I have read so far, I believe that in an effort to identify solutions for curtailing hate speech on social media, there must be ethics and self-regulation on the part of social media companies and uniform rules regarding what kind of speech content are and are not permitted on these sites.

As a matter of urgency, awareness and proper sensitisation must be created on the political, social and cultural rights of individuals and groups, including freedom of speech and its implications that come with freedom of speech. This will go a long way in averting the escalation of hate speech in our society in particular and Nigeria at large. Social media users must inculcate the habit of creating and promoting peaceful societies, and media organisations must stop producing abusive editorial comments that denigrate individuals or groups on account of disability, race, ethnicity, tribe, gender or belief on the other hand. Sincerely speaking, the issue of hate speech is becoming a thorn in everyone’s flesh. If nothing is done and urgently too, Nigeria should be ready for a full-blown war. This is not a prophecy of doom. The way and manner hate speech is escalating on social media is foreboding. All hands must be on deck to stop the social media from supercharging hate speech. A stitch in time saves nine.

• Msughter writes in from the Department Of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.