Half of all NZ men experience online harassment – survey
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/312786/half-of-all-nz-men-experience-online-harassment-survey
Three out of four New Zealand men under 30 and more than half of all men have been victim to online harassment, a survey has shown.
Cybersecurity company Symantec surveyed 505 men and found men have copped abuse for their physical appearance, religion, sexual orientation and mental illness.
The harassment came in the form of abuse, insults, threats of violence and even death threats.
A similar study detailing the experiences of women online was published earlier this year, in which 70 percent of women identified online harassment as a major problem.
Kris Fox, who has been making vlogs, beauty tutorials and comedic videos for YouTube for three years, said he had learned the hard way that harassment came along with being an online star.
That did not make the things people said hurt any less, he said.
“When you look at the survey results you do notice that a high percentage of the people who are being targeted are from the LGBT community, which is my community – I was shocked to see that it was so high.”
He had received death threats and comments telling him he was a “half-breed human”.
“What does that even mean? It’s pointless,” Mr Fox said.
He had never been harassed in person, but he estimated he received at least five negative comments every time he posted a new video.
“If they won’t say it in person why would they say it online?” he said.