Bustle: Prof. Eschmann on Responding to Racist Comments on Social Media

In Bustle‘s “How To Confront People On Social Media About Racist Comments,” Assistant Professor Rob Eschmann explains why microaggresssions on the internet affect how we respond to racism.

Excerpted from Bustle –

“All the research on microaggressions shows that when people say things that are subtly racist, the most common response is to not respond,” Rob Eschmann Ph.D., assistant professor at the School of Social Work at Boston University and an expert on racial inequality and microaggressions, tells Bustle. “So those ideologies are reproduced and not challenged, and people think that they’re an OK way to think about race. People may not even realize they are being racist.”

Social media, he says, has its advantages. It can allow racism to reproduce unchecked, but it can also amplify marginalized voices. (Though sometimes it acts as a gatekeeper, too: witness the uproar around the alleged racial bias in TikTok’s algorithm in early 2020.) Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can make it easier to confront racism when you encounter it.

“It’s different when you’re in a meeting with work colleagues,” Eschmann says. “You may not want to speak out because you think this may impact your work relationships, your job security. But online, the stakes feel lower, and it’s easier to find support.” If you speak out on social media, you may find yourself buoyed by the support and likes of others.” […]

Read the full story on Bustle‘s website here.