COMBATTING ONLINE HATE: WHAT TO KNOW. WHAT TO DO.

This program examines the issues of digital citizenship in an age of online hate. Participants will be sensitized to the state of online hate through the Wiesenthal Center’s searchable database and discuss some of the challenges young people face on popular digital platforms. Participants will also learn about some of the common symbols and codes used by extremists online, and look at the ways in which anti-Asian, anti-Black and anti-Semitic content has been spread online recently. Participants will receive resources including the Museum of Tolerance’s Combat Hate “Action Card” as a tool for schools and families to empower all media users to speak up and be part of the solution.

Presenter: Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson is the Associate Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Research Department. She came to the USA 8 years ago from the UK after receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History, with a focus on Holocaust denial. Her research focuses on the Digital Terrorism and Hate project, exploring how extremists utilize the internet and social media to spread hateful and harmful content and ideologies. She is the program director for Combat Hate, an interactive student workshop designed to introduce media literacy skills and provide tools for young people to deal with hate online.