"Does my voice even matter?" Many people ask themselves this question when it comes to hate and inflammatory comments on the Internet. The answer is simple: more than you think. Digital civil courage works – and empathy is its strongest tool. This is shown by studies and the work of ichbinhier e.V.. The association empowers people to defend themselves against hate online and to take a stand.
Sometimes it seems hopeless: Agressive voices, insults, anger and hatred dominate in comment columns. Those who wants to disagree often feel powerless. Many are worried about being targeted themselves and are resigning. "You can't change anything anyway." This assumption is widespread - but it is not true.
Studies and observations show that objective and empathetic counter-speech has an effect and can actually change discussions in social media for the better.
"A widely acclaimed study by the University of Zurich shows that when people react compassionately instead of confrontationally, the number of racist or insulting comments drops significantly. We also experience this again and again in our work. Calm, respectful counter-speech also encourages others to comment positively themselves," says Christina Hübers, Managing Director of ichbinhier e.V.
Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich found that comments that appeal to our compassion, such as "Your comment hurts others", can have the greatest impact. They improve the tone and climate of a discussion. Counter-speech is particularly effective when it encourages people to put themselves in the shoes of those affected. The behavior of the silent co-readers is also influenced. They like hate comments less often, which reduces their reach.
"Solidarity is not just an attitude, but an action"
Since 2016, ichbinhier has been campaigning for more respect and a democratic culture of debate on the Internet. At that time, the Facebook group #ichbinhier (engl: I am here) was founded, modelled on its Swedish counterpart, in which people have joined forces to counter hateful comments and make comment sections more objective.
Today, it has grown into a dedicated community with 38,000 members and a non-profit association that works on several levels: in social media, in workshops and through educational work. The association is a long-standing partner of Telekom's initiative #NoHateSpeech and part of the current "Open Your Eyes" campaign.
"We want to empower people not to be intimidated by hate. We encourage them to take a stance," says Christina Hübers. "Many people want to do something, but don't know how. We educate, promote dialogue and empower our members to stand up for those affected by online hate. In our offers, we show how digital civil courage works in areas such as racism, misogyny or disinformation. Because solidarity is not just an attitude, but an action."
The group's experience on Facebook shows that a strong community and empathetic comments work. "We use this basis to try out new, platform-specific strategies on Instagram and LinkedIn and to make digital civil courage visible there. While on Facebook the focus continues to be on empathetic counter-speech among news sites, on other platforms we focus more on supporting positive narratives and constructive content," explains Lea Bund, project and community manager at ichbinhier e.V..
Learning digital civil courage together with ichbinhier
In addition to the daily online work, ichbinhier also offers workshops and training courses for schools, associations, companies and authorities. It is about digital civil courage, dealing with hate speech and how to remain self-effective online.
"We often experience that people say after our training sessions: 'I never thought I could make a difference.' This is exactly the moment we are working towards," says Christina Hübers. "Hate on the Internet can only be countered together. Every reaction counts and no one has to act alone."
Instead of resigning: Join in!
The next ichbinhier online workshop will take place on 9 November from 4 to 6 p.m. In this workshop, you will learn how to become active online to protect and support yourself and others. You can learn how to overcome feelings of powerlessness and become capable of taking action. The workshop offers practical tools, opportunities for exchange, and a space to apply what you have learned directly on the platforms.
It's very easy to take part: On www.ichbinhier.eu you can find all the information about the workshop, other dates and the possibilities to become part of the community.
