Internet Racism - How does it affect you?

Question

I want to know how websites, chat room conversations, IM messages, forums etc. about racism (either anti-racist or racist) affect you. Personal experience, thoughts, feelings...if you are comfortable with sharing. How does viewing/experiencing racism even in the cyber world make you feel? Sad, angry, happy, scared, safe, unsafe, hopeful, hopeless... I realize this is a sensitive topic, but I want to know what people are thinking about this issue, good or bad. This is for a school project, so if you are comfortable please tell me what age group you are in: (a) 10(or younger)-15 (b) 16-20 (c)21-25 (d) 26-30 (f) 31-40 (g) 41-50 (h) 51 and older --THANK YOU!

Answer 1

Ok well for starters I am 25 years old, and racism anywhere makes me pretty angry. I hate the fact that people are still so stupid after all this time. I think Internet racism mostly comes from cowards who are too afraid to say what they really feel in real life. The internet gives people, all people, a place to showplace their views on life. People feel pretty safe to say whatever they want online, which I think often leads people to be rude and ignorant just because they can be on here, but cannot get away with it in real life. When I see people being stupid on here, regarding race or religion, I get irritated but I don't answer their question with "your stupid" or something equal to that. Instead if I can, I try to enlighten the person just a little, or if I feel they are just looking to start problems or fights, I will make sarcastic remarks or something else that might get under their skin a little.

On the other side, I also see a lot of people sticking up for equality online, and that really gives me hope. Change has to start on a micro level since our major institutions are not likely to help us out much on the macro level. On the personal level, if people start treating each other with more respect, it will start to change in a much bigger way, to more equal rights for everyone. Unless you are a white, straight, healthy, young to middle aged male, you are not getting fair treatment.

Answer 2

I'm in age group (d) 26yrs old and and internet racism isn't a problem. We all have an identity online that shouldn't be classified by race or gender.
The problem is that the people who feel so strongly about racism and lash out at others about it is the ones that are the most racist.

People are different and by trying to be like others create's a hatefull nature in them. Blacks will hate whites because of what they have and achieved since they haven't been in the game that long. Whites will hate blacks becuase of this since they only see blacks as people trying to take things away from them which is true since the blacks don't have it.

White people are at fault here since we are the ones that conquered all available land and didn't murder or reallocate all natives to another place. Each culture should have grown and developted at its own pace and the other one shouldn't have interfered in this.
Now everyone claims they belong to this land.
People should stop fighting about racism and leave the other races in peace.

Answer 3

I have been affected by Internet racism.

I live in South Africa, am 24 years old and white.

Someone contacted me on Messenger and started insulting me - he called me stuff like "Roundeye" and then called me a racist.
Then he said that I was a white man tresspassing on black man's land.

All this after I answered his question "Will global warming kill all the morons in the world", by saying that with his luck he would be the only intelligent person who survived with the morons.

I was not being racist as I don't even know what race the person is.

I don't make fun of people online because I feel that we all have a right to live.

Answer 4

Actually I am very surprised that it exists the way it is. With all the sites where one can gather information, I thought people would be a lot less ignorant and more tolerant but it seems that once you start hating a race you will always hate it. I can understand the older generation because many of them grew up in an era of seperation... but the younger generation? Well, I guess human beings are meant to be that way.

age group : g

Answer 5

i am 27, i notice quite a lot of racism over the net,
and it makes me sad, angry, hopeless, all what you have said.
racism will never cease to exist, unless some countries which has majority population considered as belonging to the lower birth by the racists come up as a super power or some thing

Answer 6

I've been brought up to believe that everyone is equal. i hate seeing that a lot of people haven't been brought up the same way. being caucasian and agnostic i don't have nuch racism directed towards me, however i can't stand seeing it anywhere, it makes me feel hopeless. because i realise that it's sometihng that will never be fixed, there will always be racism, and as much as i hate to admit there's not much we can do about it.

Answer 7

hello my name is william iam 52yrs old and internet racism any racism, is bad why we all are made in image of God the bible tells me and Jesus actually showed how to relate with people. when he talked with a woman at a well which jewish people would have avoided her in those times cause they considered her avoiding her she was a saarritan woman and jewish people did not talk with them
so we should all get along with each other life is too short

Answer 8

I'm a 18 year old caucasian male, and racism in general shames me to see how modern man can be so ignorant.

Answer 9

I'm older and have been online a lot for six years and frankly have never noticed it in the circles I frequent. I guess it has poped up but I just ignore it and go on.

Answer 10

Nothing offends me really, but if there was no racism on the internet (or anywhere else) I would be very pleased.