The English Football Association has recently taken matters into its own hands and initiated a four-day boycott from social media. The boycott meant there was no posting across Facebook Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok from 3 pm on Friday until 12:00 on Monday. A post we wrote recently outlines the ins and outs of when and why this all started- click here to be up to date.
But, what does this have to do with us? For a while now, football has been expressing its feelings about social media, and how it is only fueling online hatred and trolling. With Stitcht, we have created something which offers honest communication without the need and desire for bullying.
Basically, the calling out of social media is really happening. And, this time, the calling out isn't being done by voices that may go unheard. It was near impossible to not hear or notice a four-day ban from some of the biggest sport's accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. But, like our longstanding opinions of social media, this boycott was not over after Monday, nor was it intended to be. Kick It Out Chief Tony Burnett aired on Sky News his demands for what social media needs to do next, and we agree:
1. Improved prevention - to help stop online abuse in the first place
2. Account verification - to deter people from writing hateful comments while anonymous
3. Proper punishments - current punishments for online abuse are insufficient
4. Government intervention - fast-track the Online Harms Bill through Parliament
So, what does Stitcht have to do with it? Answer: everything. With us, we strive for the same online environment as football does; stopping the racism, yes, but also the transphobia, the sexism, and the daily harassment that occurs through the very thing which social media depends on- anonymity. (Click here to read our post about the toxic traits of anonymity online). With us, there are only faces. We've stripped communication back to what it should be;
1. We stop online abuse by taking away the only thing that causes it- the ability to hide behind a screen.
2. Our users don't need to be verified- their faces are the only thing they can post!
3. We do not tolerate any form of hatred.