Coping with Digital Hostility: How Witnessing and Receiving Hate Speech Elicit Divergent Responses (SSRN)

By differentiating between direct victimization (being targeted) and indirect exposure (observing hate speech), the current study examines how online hate speech influences user behavior. We examine effects on content creation, positive feedback, opinion sharing, and antisocial conduct using behavioral data from a well-known Chinese social network. Results indicate that exposure pathways, which are influenced by the severity of hate speech, have unique and long-lasting consequences. Responses are further differentiated by user tenure: long-term users respond more strongly to high-intensity examples of hate speech, whereas new users are more impacted by low-intensity occurrences. These findings demonstrate the nuanced impact of hate speech and the necessity of moderating techniques based on user tenure, speech intensity, and exposure type.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5603830