Through data research and the questionnaire I did in my last project, it can be seen that appearance attacks are the most common form of cyberbullying.
People with natural birthmarks, trauma or disfigurement on their faces are often the easiest victims of attacks and most are ashamed to show their appearance on social media. Over a quarter (28%) of people with a disfigurement have experienced a hate crime, yet the majority did not go on to report it, according to new research by the charity Changing Faces.The survey conducted by Savanta ComRes of more than 1,000 people with a visible difference, such as a mark or scar, showed that, while most abuse happens in public, more than 40% of people with a visible difference have had negative experiences online and one in 10 say they are repeatedly harassed on social media. Almost half (45%) of those who have experienced negative behaviours say they have lost confidence, over a third (35%) say they now feel anxious when they go out and over a quarter (27%) say it has had a negative impact on their mental health.
And through a BBC News interview, I learn that in the real world, some haters secretly film them and upload photos in social media. The rapid spread of the internet has amplified the impact of these injuries and formed groups of haters on various social media. I began to think about the possibility of creating virtual facial adornments in conjunction with NFT’s technology to help facially disfigured people be brave enough to share their appearance and experiences on social media.
Reference:
1.Instagram removes picture of 12-yr-old with facial disfigurement, faces social media backlash, https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/instagram-removes-picture-of-12-yr-old-with-facial-disfigurement-faces-social-media-backlash/story-XxxI70fGZPl9UeNDnu3o4H.html
2.28% of people with a facial disfigurement have been a victim of hate crime
3.Living with facial disfigurement – ‘People stare and take photos of me’