The pain of any parent who loses their son or daughter under any circumstance is unspeakable. The horror of having to fight for justice after your son is crushed to death under the weight of falling bricks is terrible. The fact that a grieving mother has to face online trolls because she is fighting that very cause is nothing less than inherent morbid cruelty.
That is exactly what Isabelle Bonnici has had to endure over the past months as she relentlessly fights for a public inquiry into the death of her son, Jean Paul Sofia, who was killed in a construction accident last December.
Many comments on social media suggested she should have given her son a better education which would have, apparently, steered him away from the construction industry. Many told her to stop whining and to stop “harassing” the prime minister with her calls for a public inquiry. There’s something quite disturbing in all of this, even by the vitriolic posts uploaded daily, especially on Facebook.
Many of those hurling insults are probably convinced that Bonnici has a partisan agenda. Others think she has made her point and should just shut up. Clearly, none of those spewing their hate bother putting themselves in the mother’s position.
But why should we be surprised? This is a country where many feel at ease posting comments on social media to tell (black) migrants to drown themselves. Others persist with misogynistic/partisan comments laced with hate. Young people, especially, are constantly bullied. None of those posting the messages stop to reflect how their comments will impact the recipient.
Sadly, we have seen a disturbing trend of growing hate messages and insults targeting individuals in their most vulnerable moments. The proliferation of online hate is a disheartening reflection of the dark side of human nature. People seem too eager to hurl insults and direct their anger towards others, often hiding behind the anonymity provided by the digital realm.
Many of those hurling insults are probably convinced that Bonnici has a partisan agenda. Others think she has made her point and should just shut up. Clearly, none of those spewing their hate bother putting themselves in the mother’s position
It is essential that we recognise the serious consequences of such behaviour.
It is not only the vulnerable who are at the receiving end of hate online: how many times have we seen people in the public eye, from politicians to TV personalities to journalists, being relentlessly insulted, harassed, trolled?
The impact of these hate messages on the mental and emotional well-being of the targeted individuals cannot be understated. It can exacerbate their grief, inflict psychological trauma, and isolate them. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have seemingly given us the right to indulge in frequent exercises of public flagellation, even if we are merely armed with hearsay. In the digital world, misinformation travels faster than facts because it skips formalities. There are enough studies to show many individuals have been pushed over the edge (sometimes with tragic consequences) because they have faced a barrage of online hate.
It is not enough to feel disgusted when we see such hate. When we normalise and accept such behaviour, we contribute to a toxic culture that corrodes the very foundations of society.
We must call out hatred on the same platforms and demand action against online hate, harassment and abuse, which has the power to incite violence and deepen social division. By tolerating and engaging in such behaviour, we become complicit in perpetuating a society where hatred, ignorance and intolerance thrive.
Freedom of speech does not give us the right to instigate hatred or potentially put people’s lives at risk. And we should have no shame saying so.