Haters: Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online by Bailey Poland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book explores cybersexism and its varying problems. The books opens with an explanation of cybersexism and gives thoughts to that offline sexism carries on to the Internet - that women's space to talk and discuss is as limited offline and online, and as soon as men ("not all men are also addressed in the book to explain that such phrases, while might be goodhearted and through, further limit women's space to talk and take place by focusing away from what the women are experiencing to what men are experiencing when women talk about their experiences and troubles) feel that women are taking too much of a space, they shut the women down.

Poland discusses sexism both by sharing personal experiences and by drawing from (limited) research and other people's experiences. When Poland has build a base on what cybersexism is Poland ventures to talk about specific happenings, such as Gamersgate and how cybersexism, doxing and stalking affects women and how it many times have forced the women harassed to shut down their online persona and how they've lost jobs and homes due to harassment.

Poland ends the book by discussing cyberfeminism and how cyberfeminist ideas can help to understand and find solutions to the harassment, and also discussing the lack of tools to stop harassment, from Twitter, especially, and other social media being slow to take action or that they don't understand the problem and seriousness of it at all. Poland also takes up the issue with the American police not understanding this problem, and how many just laughs it off as being online life, jokes, and that women are too sensitive - not seeing how damaging online harassment can be. Poland also addresses intersectionalism and how that's important to take in mind while discussing all these problems.

The books ends by listing organisations that tries to do something about cybersexism, what more can be done, and what research needs to be made to further understand these problems.

The book was build up well, going from general discussion about sexism and cybersexism to adresseing specific problems and then on solutions and what needs to be done. The book is easily read, as Poland doesn't complicate the writing and that Poland gives multiple examples to the problems discussed further help to really understand the problem. I was struck with how scary all this is, and how I don't reflect on it too much, though I'm a woman. It's horrendous to read how women's lives have been ruined by what some people just sees as a game, and their right to voice such opinions, as the Internet's "just" the Internet and should be the Wild West.

A good, eyeopening read.

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