Written by Edge of Humanity Magazine Staff

Once upon a time, the internet was a place of connection and growth but today, it’s turning into a dark space where online harassment has become an insidious aspect of this culture.

We have all seen this.

You can simply scroll through the comment section of your favorite actress. You will come across a plethora of comments spewing hate for no reason. It has become a common sight to see men and male-dominated communities partake in such behavior against women just because they can.

These groups are not hard to find either. In fact, one Google search will fetch you a variety of results.

Platforms like Reddit, 4chan, and even a few gaming forums, exhibit this misogynistic behavior, where they try to intimidate, silence, and degrade women online. Even social media is fueling this. From anti-feminist groups to women-hating forums on Facebook, you have it all.

Some men even come together and coordinate their efforts to harass exes after a breakup. These are the online revenge communities.

Most men who get entangled in these forums do so because they perceive a break-up as a decline in the power of male dominance in society. And, the internet is forever fanning this fire and allowing them to express their hostility without having to worry about real-world consequences.

One of the most infamous cases of male online revenge is the Gamergate controversy, which targeted women in the video game industry, mainly feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian and video game developers Zoë Quinn and Brianna Wu.

In August 2014, things took a dark turn. A blog called ‘The Zoe Post’ was published by Quinn’s ex, just to get back at her.

Through the post, he falsely accused Quinn of receiving rave reviews because of her sexual relationship with a gaming journalist.

This post quickly spread to other forums like 4chan, 8chan, and Reddit and led to an onslaught of abuse.

Quinn’s personal information was leaked online. It led to doxxing, cyberbullying, and even death threats. The harassment was so severe that Quinn was forced to leave her home and stay with friends out of fear for her safety. She had to put her life on hold just because the online space makes revenge easy!

But there doesn’t seem to be a full stop when it comes to online revenge perpetrated by men.

One Reddit user shares her ordeal on how even after escaping an abusive ex, he is still relentlessly harassing her on social media and emails. Her ex’s harassment has escalated to the point where she fears for her safety and is considering filing a harassment order.

The psychological impact on women targeted by these campaigns is deep. The victims go through severe bouts of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The fear of being continually targeted disrupts their lives completely. All this is because of the toxic entitlement that’s rooted in the patriarchal belief, where a group of men feel justified in their actions. The resulting trauma forces many women to withdraw from online spaces, sacrificing their voices and freedom for safety.