Microsoft creates a Digital Civility Index -- encourages people to be more respectful online
The problem of trolls and general rudeness is something that many people would like to change about social networks and online interaction in general. Twitter is trying to curb abusive behavior on its service, but Microsoft has a more interesting approach -- it wants people to embrace "digital civility" and to treat each other with respect and dignity online.
With this aim in mind, the software giant has created a Digital Civility Index -- a new measure of people’s safety online and exposure to risks.
Jacqueline Beauchere, Microsoft’s Chief Online Safety Officer, explains that:
Last June, we conducted a study in 14 countries, gauging the attitudes and perceptions of teens (ages 13-17) and adults (ages 18-74) about the state of digital civility today. We measured survey respondents’ lifetime exposure to 17 online risks across four categories: behavioral, reputational, sexual and personal/intrusive.
People who took the survey admitted to experiencing unwanted contact online, being treated mean, being trolled, receiving unwanted sexts, and online harassment.
Two thirds said they had fallen victim to at least one of those issues, and 62 percent said they were unsure where to go to get help.
50 percent reported being "extremely or very" worried about online life.
Microsoft used the results to create its Digital Civility Index, which shows the rating for each of the countries surveyed, as well as an overall rating.
Jacqueline Beauchere explains that the "index works like a golf score: the lower the value (on a scale from zero to 100), the lower the respondents’ risk exposure and the higher the perceived level of online civility among people in that country."
As you can see from the graph above, the UK came out on top, the US was third, behind Australia, and South Africa was in last place, just behind Mexico and Russia.
The international Digital Civility Index score currently stands at 65.
To help improve the index, Microsoft has introduced a Digital Civility Challenge that calls on people to commit to the following ideals and share their pledge on social media, using the #Challenge4Civility and #Im4DigitalCivility hashtags.
The ideals are:
- Live the Golden Rule by acting with empathy, compassion and kindness in every interaction, and treating everyone they connect with online with dignity and respect.
- Respect differences and honor diverse perspectives, and when disagreements surface to engage thoughtfully, and avoid name-calling and personal attacks.
- Pause before replying to things people disagree with, and not posting or sending anything that could hurt someone else, damage reputations or threaten people’s safety.
- Stand up for myself and others by supporting those who are targets of online abuse or cruelty, reporting activity that threatens anyone’s safety, and preserving evidence of inappropriate or unsafe behavior.
You can view the findings of the Digital Civility Index in the infographic below.
Will you be rising to Microsoft’s challenge to be more respectful and supportive online?
Image Credit: Ljupco Smokovski / Shutterstock