This week on episode 3 of #TheGirlTribe, MissMalini aka Malini Agarwal caught up with the every-charming and hilarious—Mallika Dua. On this episode, they talk about the every prevailing issue of the amount of trolling women face on the internet. They also talk about how we need stricter rules when it comes to cyberbullying. Watch the episode here!
There is a horrible trend that has been sweeping the internet lately. It seems that more and more people find it increasingly important to troll and demean others. Sadly, most of the trolling, shaming and bullying is aimed at women. While this is something that is common around the world, it’s all the more prevalent in India. From rampant sexism to being bullied for every small thing, the women of our country have to deal with a lot. So what makes people on the internet so brave? Would they actually have the courage to say some of the things they say, to a persons face? Let’s take a closer look at some of the things covered in this episode.
Trolling
To answer the question asked before, whether the trolls and keyboard warriors have the courage to say things to a persons face, the answer is no. Trolls thrive and live by the fact that they will never be held accountable because the internet allows you to be anonymous. This is like getting a free pass to doing whatever you want and no one can do a thing about it because no one knows you. While more social platforms are coming out with filters to block these hateful and nasty comments, it’s clearly not enough. Trolling is equivalent to bullying and as a community, we need to start calling it out and taking action. While it may be hard and almost impossible to ignore these people, it’s important to remember that you should never feed the trolls.
Discrimination
While trolling is a serious problem, it isn’t the only one faced by women today. Discrimination is another rampant problem that the women of our country face. From pay-gaps to being denied positions, women are discriminated against on a daily basis. Things like age, beauty, values, background, etc. are constantly used against them. Change is coming and more and more women are starting to call out the blatant discrimination they face. It’s time we start treating people as equals because, at the end of the day, we’re all humans.
The Internet
The internet is like a bottomless pit. It’s filled with things that can intrigue you and at the same time, disgust you. By this point, the direction we’re heading in is obvious. We’re going towards (if not already in) a completely digital world. Social media is an important tool in this world. However, often times the power of social media is misused. It is used to harass others and bully them. We need to have strict rules when it comes to cyberbullying. Laws need to be put in place so that people don’t have to go through that sort of torment. Furthermore, celebrities need to realise the power they have on social media and over their fans. When things go sideways with other celebs or people, they need to be able to rein their fans in and call out their behaviour. That is the only way we reduce the amount of hate on the internet.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think people who’re caught trolling and cyberbullying should face more severe consequences? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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