by Taylor Pittman, shared by Eleni Maria Rozali
Women who joined an online movement supporting reproductive rights were greeted with nasty responses.
A is For, a nonprofit organisation devoted to women’s reproductive rights, put a twist on Jimmy Kimmel’s popular “Mean Tweets” series and featured women who have participated in the #ShoutYourAbortion movement. Amelia Bonow and Lindy West, two activists who started the hashtag, were featured in the video as well as comedian Margaret Cho and actress Martha Plimpton, who pointed out she had many tweets to choose from.
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Wow, despite being delivered in a hilarious format, most of those comments were shocking. As one can see by spending a short time on the internet, in most situations every person has a voice, and seeing as there are often fewer restrictions regarding free speech online compared to real life, as well as there being a digital mask for many people hide behind, the internet is a breeding ground for misinformation and misogyny, as well as other forms of bigotry. New and social media can easily be used to polarise, bully, and oppress, whether in the developed world or the majority world. We all have a long way to go, it seems.
Translation of all those quotes: “My opinion is better than yours, therefore you should suffer”. Digital fascism?
Hi Matthew and thanks for your thought provoking comment. Yes it appears that the digital world can easily turn into a digital school yard where you can start name calling, with the only difference no one knows who you are. The anonymity enables people to vent their most negative sentiments, and the lack of any form of retribution adds to this. So you are right in a sense that this is a form of digital fascism. Similar to the physical world however, the digital world is a hybrid of opinions and whether they are positive or negative, everyone has a right to them. In my view however, it is all a matter of perspective. The choice is ultimately ours.
Wow! What a great and empowering video! It fits in very well with your theme, and I enjoyed the humorous take on such a serious topic. The #shoutyourabortion hashtag is a great example of an accessible social media campaign!