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Development and Mass-dissemination of Intervention to Mobilize Pro-social Bystander Reactions to Hostile Content on Social Media

Objective

While user-generated content and functionalities that enable users to engage in discussions on social media hold significant democratic potential, online hostility, such as incivility, discrimination and hate speech diminishes the quality of such deliberation. As social media providers are unable to police social media content and be present to moderate discussions effectively, we need to democratize the solution to online hostility by relying more on ordinary citizens who take part in online discussions to react and intervene as bystanders when they witness hostile behavior. However, to realize the potential of pro-social bystander reactions to online hostility, we need to overcome the tendency for diffusion of responsibility and bystander apathy in situations of online hostility. We need behavior change away from the current norm of passivity. This requires encouragement of pro-social bystander reactions through interventions providing guidance and motivation. Building on an extensive behavioral analysis of bystander behavior in response to online hostility carried out within the ERC-CoG STANDBY-project, we have developed and pilot-tested such a guidance message the Speak up, Report, Support-intervention which has proven effective in mobilizing pro-social bystander reactions to online hostility. The aim of the STANDBYCOMMS-project is to: 1) further improve this intervention through collaboration with world-leading experts in behavior change interventions on social media and end-user engagement (media corporations, NGOs, political parties, individual politicians etc. who are providers of comment sections on social media platforms), 2) field test the intervention at scale, and 3) build and market an online library facilitating mass-dissemination of the intervention free-of-charge to end-users. The intervention will be made available in multiple languages and adaptations for different platforms along with implementation guides.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2023-POC

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Host institution

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 150 000,00
Address
NORDRE RINGGADE 1
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

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Region
Danmark Midtjylland Østjylland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

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