Understanding the role of participatory-moral abilities, motivation, and behavior in European adolescents’ responses to online hate

Abstract

Researchers have repeatedly discussed how to strengthen supportive and pro-social responses to online hate, such as reporting and commenting. Researchers and practitioners commonly call for the promotion of media literacy measures that are believed to be positively associated with countermeasures against online hate. In this study (conducted in 2021), we examined relationships between media literacy proficiencies of (1) moral-participatory motivation and abilities and, consequently, (2) the establishment of moral-participatory behaviors and the correspondence with prosocial responses to online hate. A sample of 1489 adolescents and young adults (16–22 years old) from eight European countries is examined. Results confirmed that higher participatory-moral motivation and behavior were significantly associated with stronger intentions to report online hate. Commenting on hateful online content, on the other hand, was significantly related to participatory-moral abilities and past experiences with online harassment. Implications for the role of social media literacy in the context of online hate are discussed.