Behind the Counter: Exploring the Motivations and Barriers of Online Counterspeech Writing
Kaike Ping, Anisha Kumar, Xiaohan Ding, Eugenia Rho

TL;DR
This study investigates the motivations and barriers influencing online counterspeech engagement among diverse demographic groups, highlighting the role of personal experiences, concerns, and AI technology willingness.
Contribution
It introduces a multi-item scale for counterspeech motivation and barriers, providing new insights into factors affecting online counterspeech participation.
Findings
Having been targeted by hate increases counterspeech engagement.
Demographic differences influence motivations and barriers.
Concerns about retaliation and exposure hinder counterspeech participation.
Abstract
Current research mainly explores the attributes and impact of online counterspeech, leaving a gap in understanding of who engages in online counterspeech or what motivates or deters users from participating. To investigate this, we surveyed 458 English-speaking U.S. participants, analyzing key motivations and barriers underlying online counterspeech engagement. We presented each participant with three hate speech examples from a set of 900, spanning race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability, and requested counterspeech responses. Subsequent questions assessed their satisfaction, perceived difficulty, and the effectiveness of their counterspeech. Our findings show that having been a target of online hate is a key driver of frequent online counterspeech engagement. People differ in their motivations and barriers towards engaging in online counterspeech across different…
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Taxonomy
TopicsDigital Communication and Language · Social Media and Politics
