Level 4 Reading 7B

Reading 7B

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OUR ONLINE BEHAVIOR Has our increased use of social media unlocked our natural cruelty? Researcher and author Agustin Fuentes examines whether the rise in social media is really to blame for our hostility online. In recent years, the Internet has become a particularly volatile place. Aggression on social media is now commonplace. In a 2017 study of 4,000 people by the Pew Research Center, four out of ten said they'd experienced harassment online. More than half of the victims said they did not know the identity of the perpetrator. Most people agreed that the anonymity of the Internet provides cover for nasty and harassing behavior. Does this growing aggression on social media give us a glimpse of our real human nature? Are we—at our core—belligerent beasts? It's true that hate crimes are on the rise, and political divisions appear to be growing. The level of public bitterness—especially online—is substantial. But I don't believe that's because social media has unlocked our cruel human nature. As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have spent years researching and writing about our transformation as a species. Over the past two million years, we have evolved from groups of apelike beings armed with sticks and stones to the creators of cars, rockets, great works of art, nations, and global economic systems. How did we do this? Our brains got bigger, and our capacity for cooperation exploded. We are wired to collaborate, to create diverse social relationships, and to solve problems together. This is the inheritance that everyone in the 21st century carries. I would argue that the rise in online aggression is a product of our evolutionary social skills, the social media boom, and the specific political and economic context in which we find ourselves. This explosive combination has opened up a space for more and more people to fan the flames of aggression and insult online. We've all heard the expression "you are what you eat." But when it comes to our behavior, a more appropriate expression may be "you are whom you meet." How we perceive, experience, and act in the world is shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis. This includes our families, communities, institutions, beliefs, and role models. These sources of influence affect our neurobiology in subtle ways. How we perceive the world is related to the patterns of people and places that we see as most connected to us. This process has deep evolutionary roots and gives humans what we call a shared reality. The connection between minds and experiences enables us to share space and work together effectively— more so than most other beings. But the "whom" in the expression "whom we meet" has been changing. We may receive more information now from online sources than from physical social experiences. We may hear more announcements from 24-hour news outlets than from conversations with other humans. The ways we socially interact, especially on social media, are increasing at a time when we are more and more divided, both socially and economically. What may be the results of this? Historically, we have maintained harmony by displaying compassion and friendship, and by developing connectedness when we get together. On social media, the anonymity and lack of face-to-face interaction remove a crucial part of the equation of human sociality. This opens the door to more frequent, and severe, displays of aggression. Aggressive behavior—especially to those you don't have to confront face-to-face—is easier than it's ever been. And for the aggressor, there are often no consequences.

我们的在线行为 我们越来越多地使用社交媒体是否释放了我们天生的残忍？ 研究人员兼作家Agustin Fuentes研究了社交媒体的兴起是否真的是我们在线敌意的罪魁祸首。 近年来，互联网已经成为一个特别动荡的地方。 社交媒体上的攻击行为现在司空见惯。 皮尤研究中心2017年对4000人进行的一项研究显示， 十分之四的人表示他们在网上经历过骚扰。 超过一半的受害者表示，他们不知道肇事者的身份。 大多数人都认为，互联网的匿名性为恶劣和骚扰行为提供了掩护。 这种在社交媒体上日益增长的攻击性是否让我们看到了我们真正的人性？ 我们的核心是好战的野兽吗？ 仇恨犯罪确实在上升，政治分歧似乎也在加剧。 公众的痛苦程度——尤其是在网上——是巨大的。 但我不认为这是因为社交媒体释放了我们残酷的人性。 作为一名进化人类学家，我花了数年时间研究和写作我们作为一个物种的转变。 在过去的200万年里，我们已经从一群手持棍棒和石头的类人猿进化而来 向汽车、火箭、伟大艺术品、国家和全球经济体系的创造者致敬。 我们是怎么做到的？ 我们的大脑变大了，我们的合作能力爆发了。 我们注定要合作，建立多样化的社会关系，共同解决问题。 这是21世纪每个人的遗产。 我认为，网络攻击性的增加是我们社交技能进化的产物， 社交媒体的繁荣，以及我们所处的特定政治和经济环境。 这种爆炸性的组合为越来越多的人在网上煽动侵略和侮辱的火焰开辟了空间。 我们都听过这样一句话：“吃什么就是什么。” 但当涉及到我们的行为时，一个更恰当的表达可能是“你就是你遇到的人” 我们在世界上的感知、体验和行为方式取决于我们周围的人和事物。 这包括我们的家庭、社区、机构、信仰和榜样。 这些影响源以微妙的方式影响我们的神经生物学。 我们如何看待世界与我们认为与我们联系最紧密的人和地方的模式有关。 这一过程有着深厚的进化根源，并为人类提供了我们所说的共享现实。 思想和经验之间的联系使我们能够共享空间并有效地合作-- 比大多数其他生物都要多。 但“我们遇见谁”这一表达中的“谁”一直在变化。 我们现在可能从在线来源获得的信息比从实际社交体验中获得的信息更多。 我们可能会从24小时新闻媒体上听到更多的公告，而不是与其他人的对话。 我们社交互动的方式，尤其是在社交媒体上， 在我们在社会和经济上越来越分裂的时候，这种情况正在增加。 这可能会带来什么结果？ 历史上，我们通过展现同情心和友谊来维护和谐， 以及在我们聚在一起时建立联系。 在社交媒体上，匿名性和缺乏面对面的互动消除了人类社会性方程式的关键部分。 这为更频繁、更严重的侵略行为打开了大门。 攻击性行为——尤其是对那些你不必面对面的人——比以往任何时候都更容易。 对于侵略者来说，往往没有后果。

Humans are evolutionarily successful because our big brains have allowed us to bond and cooperate in more complex ways than any other animal. The capacity to observe how the world operates, to imagine how it might improve, and to turn that vision into reality is a key aspect of our humanity. And there lies the solution to the problem. We are equipped with the skill set to calm aggression, and to encourage cohesion. For thousands of years, people have acted collectively to punish and shame aggressive antisocial actions such as bullying or abuse. On social media—where the aggressor is remote and anonymous— even the best-intentioned individual challenge may turn into a shouting match. But confronting the bully with a group action— a reasoned, communal response rather than a solo gesture—can be more effective at shutting down aggression. Look at the public pressures placed on media corporations to monitor hate speech and fake news online, for instance. These are examples of how humans can collaborate to encourage what's positive and discourage what's negative. Yes, it seems that the world is getting more aggressive, but that's not because we are more aggressive at our core. It's because we haven't been stepping up together to do the difficult social work our contemporary world demands. That means standing up against bullying, abuse, and aggressive harassment, and promoting pro-social attitudes and actions. In person and on social media, we must do both. How do people respond to online aggression? When the Pew Research Center asked people how they handled their most recent exposure to online harassment, most said they ignored it. However, 39 percent said they made some sort of response. Here are the top responses ranked by frequency: 1. Confronted the person online 2. Unfriended/blocked the person 3. Reported the person responsible to the website 4. Confronted the person face-to-face or via text/phone call 5. Discussed the problem online 6. Changed username/deleted profile

人类在进化上是成功的，因为我们的大脑让我们建立了联系 并且以比任何其他动物更复杂的方式合作。 观察世界如何运作的能力， 想象它将如何改善，并将这一愿景变为现实，是我们人性的一个关键方面。 这就是问题的解决方案。 我们具备平息侵略和鼓励凝聚力的技能。 数千年来，人们集体采取行动惩罚和羞辱欺凌或虐待等攻击性反社会行为。 在社交媒体上——攻击者远程匿名-- 即使是最善意的个人挑战也可能变成一场大喊大叫的比赛。 但以集体行动对抗欺凌者-- 一个理性的、集体的反应，而不是一个单独的姿态，可以更有效地阻止攻击。 例如，看看公众对媒体公司施加的压力，要求他们在网上监控仇恨言论和假新闻。 这些是人类如何合作鼓励积极的事情，劝阻消极的事情的例子。 是的，世界似乎变得越来越咄咄逼人， 但这并不是因为我们的核心更具侵略性。 这是因为我们没有共同努力，完成当代世界所要求的艰巨的社会工作。 这意味着要站出来反对欺凌、虐待和攻击性骚扰，并促进亲社会的态度和行动。 无论是面对面还是在社交媒体上，我们都必须做到这两点。 人们如何应对网络攻击？ 当皮尤研究中心询问人们如何处理最近遭受的网络骚扰时， 大多数人说他们忽略了它。 然而，39%的人表示他们做出了某种回应。 以下是按频率排列的最高回复： 1.在网上与对方对峙 2.取消好友/屏蔽该人 3.向网站举报责任人 4.面对面或通过短信/电话与对方对峙 5.在网上讨论了这个问题 6.更改用户名/删除个人资料

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