Online abuse and trolling

First Minister Arlene Foster said that abuse on social media is one of the biggest obstacles women have to face in public life.

‘Online abuse turns women away from public life’ – Arlene Foster

‘Online abuse turns women away from public life’ – Arlene Foster photo credit: canva

Online abuse and trolling on social media is one of the biggest obstacles women have to face in public life, says Arlene Foster. Foster is the First Minister of Northern Ireland and spoke out against the abuse women face on social media.

Online abuse and trolling

Foster, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader, said social media companies need to take more responsibility to deal with abusers who remain anonymous.

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Trolled for appearance, clothing, haircuts

Foster appeared on the BCC Radio Ulster’s Evening Programme. She said most women were trolled for their appearance, clothing and haircuts.

When it impacts the family life, it becomes even more difficult to deal with.

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* According to Wikipedia, a troll is a person who starts flame wars or intentionally upsets people on the Internet. This is typically done by posting inflammatory and digressive,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroupforumchat room, or blog), with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses[2] and normalizing tangential discussion.[3] This is typically for the troll’s amusement, or to achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival’s online activities or manipulating a political process.

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