How do you handle harassment on social media? - 22 Apr 2013
By Evan-Lee Courie [[@evan1985]]Have you been harassed or abused via social media? How far did it go and how did you react? These are just some of the questions that came to mind after a recent incident I encountered.
I won't go into too much detail about the incident but what I will say is that I was bombarded with a large amount of messages, obviously attempting to get my attention. After me responding politely that I couldn't offer any assistance, messages then became a lot more, uhm...I can't even describe it, but it was inappropriate. I immediately went and 'unfriended' the perpetrator. I somewhat felt that my privacy had been invaded and I just can't imagine how may other people this happens to on a regular basis.
Here are a few steps to think of, should you become a victim of social media harassment.
Save screenshots of everything to use as evidence
Try and reduce or prevent further harassment
Gather as much information as you can about the individual harassing you
Report the individual to the specific social media outlets via the channels provided.
There are obviously more ways in handling the situation, but my point is that this happens and you need to take precautionary measures to protect yourself. Be safe out there!
In news this week: Anton Koekemoer provides some steps on what to do if your social campaign is being ignored; New Nigerian domain names likely to lead to growth; a research study reveals that social media is used more than e-mail in West Africa; Alliance Media breaks outdoor advertising records in Zambia; and the Nigerian Communications Commission has scored Airtel high in quality service.
Have a good week!
Evan-Lee Courie @evan1985
