«Children should not be satisfied with simple answers»
Mr Feibel, «the importance of social media in the public interpretation of the war in the Middle East is greater than ever before», wrote the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Would you agree with that?
Yes, social media has long been a central component of psychological warfare and the superspreader for fake news par excellence. Donald Trump has already used this manipulation technique to great effect. His provocative posts set the news agenda. The traditional media had to pick up on his claims, which in turn seeped into the social networks.
In addition, excitement, anger and confusion inflate the disinformation. If in the end nobody knows what is actually true, the goal has been achieved. This pattern also worked in exactly the same way after the terrorist act against Israel four weeks ago. The Hamas claim that a hospital had exploded went viral around the world and, unchecked, became the lead story in traditional media such as the New York Times. This has since coined the phrase that should be self-evident: terrorists are not a source.
At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, numerous videos of people from the crisis area began circulating on social media. What is different now than in March 2022?
Terrorist attacks attract the greatest possible public attention. The assassins committed an unprecedentedly bestial massacre of the Israeli civilian population and filmed themselves and their deeds. The gruesome details of beheadings, rapes and kidnappings, which did not even stop at infants and the elderly, are absolutely shocking in their inhumanity.
At least until the mood changed and the bloodbath was largely reinterpreted as a liberation struggle and religious war in the Arab world. Organised and orchestrated stagings of angry protests against Israel are taking place worldwide via social media . The victim is now seen as the aggressor. The conflagration that needs to be avoided is already here. It is now taking place via social networks.
Numerous photos and videos showing horrific scenes are circulating on various social media channels, but especially on Tiktok and X (formerly Twitter): Bodies under rubble, children in cages, explosions. Why are such disturbing images not deleted by the operators?
Meta is said to have deleted 750,000 videos three days after the bloodbath, Tiktok half a million. However, the motives are less ethical in nature than pure fear of repression by the EU Digital Commissioner. X is also said to have deleted accounts. However, I see a particular problem with Elon Musk, the owner of X. In my opinion, his very flexible interpretations of freedom of expression are not necessarily guided by moral standards. What's more, users are leaving his platform in droves because of him. Brutal content can, however, attract greater attention and participation. After all, social networks thrive on user activity.
Tiktok is the platform for young people. According to a recent study, almost 54 per cent of the approximately three million monthly Tiktok users in Switzerland are under the age of 24. What can parents do to prevent their children from coming into contact with images of war on Tiktok?
Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon. In my readings and workshops, I have been meeting children from the second grade upwards for years who have images of beheadings or torched pets on their smartphones. They don't want these images and content, but are sent them by older children. And they know no other advice than to quickly forward these images out of fear.
As soon as children have their own mobile devices, we will never be able to completely prevent them from coming into contact with bad content. Even if parents are connected to their child's network account for monitoring purposes. The important thing is that children know exactly what to do in such a case.
What is the best way to talk to my child if they have seen such content?
Communication with children about such serious matters must above all be age- and development-dependent. Children must always know that they can speak to their parents at any time and inform them as soon as they come across disturbing content online. They will then help them to categorise what is happening. It is equally important to relieve children by allaying their diffuse fears and reassuring them that they are not to blame for receiving such images. Deleting them together can have a liberating effect.
However, it would be illusory to believe that children can be protected from the horrors of world events. But in order not to overwhelm yourself or your children, I would advise them to watch children's news together, which explains the most complicated issues in a gentle and understandable way. You can then talk about it together afterwards.
Hate speech can even have a devastating effect on people who are not affected by it by manipulatively reinforcing prejudices or fuelling anger.
Teachers also have a duty here, as pupils also discuss current topics in the playground. However, some teachers duck away and refer pupils who need to talk to the history teacher, for example. That doesn't work. There is an urgent need for pedagogical support that can put the topic into context.
In addition to the shocking content, hate and agitation online, so-called hate speech, has increased enormously since the escalation of the Middle East conflict. What can this do to children and young people?
Hate speech and agitation are the spearheads of populism, which only appears to fulfil the desire for very simple solutions to highly complex issues. Scapegoats are needed for this. Hate speech can have two different effects on children and young people. For example, if they themselves are the target of such verbal attacks, this causes them great fear and triggers despair or helplessness.
However, hate speech can have a devastating effect even on people who are not affected by it by manipulatively reinforcing prejudices or fuelling anger. Social pressure within their circle of friends also plays a role, as do their own political views. But what happens when children and young people campaign for climate protection and then the international section of «Fridays For Future», of all people, adopts an anti-Semitic tone? It is to be feared that young people who are unable to grasp the complexity of the issue will simply go along with the opinions of spokespeople.
What can children and young people do if they come into contact with online insults that they think go too far?
If they are strong enough, they can counter bad prejudices, stand by others or report the incident online. That's why I think it would be good if we encouraged children and young people much more in their upbringing to encourage their spirit of dissent. They shouldn't be satisfied with simple answers, but should question everything.
Anti-Semitism never went away.
In the current conflict, anti-Semitism in particular is spreading very quickly online. What dangers are there?
It is only a small step from online violence to violence in reality. In Berlin, Jews are spat on and beaten up, front doors are marked with Stars of David, «Kill Jews» is sprayed on walls, synagogues are set on fire and numerous bomb threats are reported. In Detroit, the president of the synagogue was found stabbed to death and in Dagestan, a mob stormed an Israeli aeroplane. The mass murder in Israel has had a devastating signalling effect on its enemies.
How is it that anti-Semitism has been given such a boost in such a short space of time?
Anti-Semitism has never gone away. The ancient medieval tale of the ritual murder of children in order to drink their blood lives on today in a variation of the QAnon movement. Moreover, anti-Semitism wears different guises. For decades, Jewish people have felt threatened by right-wing, left-wing and Islamic anti-Semitism, not to mention bourgeois anti-Semitism. Added to this are conspiracy theories, the denial or trivialisation of the Holocaust and hatred of Israel, which equates Jews and Israelis.
What does all this do to the Jewish people and their children?
They feel neither respected nor protected. It also brings back bad memories of the Shoah and even greater fears. The fear is deeply rooted in Jewish DNA. Many Jews in Europe are direct descendants of Holocaust survivors who have passed on the feeling of threat to their children and grandchildren in a transgenerational way.
If we convey tolerance and compassion, these are the best pillars we can place against prejudice and discrimination.
The state of Israel was founded to protect Jews worldwide from persecution and to give them a country where they would be safe. Jews around the world knew that they could find a home there in an emergency. A few years ago, numerous French Jews emigrated to Israel because anti-Semitic incidents were rampant there and did not shy away from murder. The idea that Israel is a safe haven for Jews in the diaspora was also destroyed by the massacre on 7 October.
How is it that there is so little empathy with Jews?
The British and Jewish comedian David Baddiel has found an astonishing explanation for this. In his book with the telling title «Jews don't count», he states that anti-Semitism is often second-class racism. Whenever discrimination is discussed in left-wing circles, all affected groups with different skin colours, faiths and sexual orientations are listed. Only the Jews are always left out. Yet they undoubtedly also have to contend with prejudice and discrimination. Baddiel explains this by saying that Jews are considered «white» and are associated with «rich» and «privileged». And as soon as it comes to anti-Semitism, the conversation quickly switches to Israel. For Baddiel, this is racism.
In the current situation, should parents talk to their children about anti-Semitism before they come into contact with it online?
It always depends on the moral compass and the values that are exemplified in families. If we teach tolerance and compassion, these are the best pillars we can set against prejudice and discrimination. In the family, we should show what often falls by the wayside on the internet: Humanity.
