Important Discussion on the Use of Authentic Listening to Mitigate Hate in the Digital Age Held at Hostos Community College

Online conflict, hate and harassment is a pervasive problem that plagues people across generations and the globe. With this in mind, Hostos Community College’s Civility Committee (CCC) and Anti-Hate Initiative hosted an important interactive discussion on how to use authentic listening to increase empathy and mitigate bullying and hate in the digital age. Held on Tuesday, April 16, the event featured a presentation by Dr. Jeffrey Lane, author of “The Digital Street” (Oxford University Press, 2018) and Associate Professor of Communication at Rutgers University, on authentic listening, followed by a student panel discussion on cyberbullying. 
 
President Daisy Cocco De Filippis set the stage for the discussion during her opening remarks, in which she reflected on the internet’s capacity to both bring people together and be used as a tool for divisiveness and bullying, especially in the wake of the pandemic. She stressed the importance of the day’s discourse, citing a Pew Research Center report that showed 46% of U.S. teens reported having experienced at least one of six cyberbullying behaviors — with 28% reporting that they’ve experienced multiple types of cyberbullying. She also shared the alarming, long-term consequences of bullying, as described by the Michigan Psychological Association, which can range from trouble sleeping to depression, self-harm, and even suicide. 


Provost Shiang-Kwei Wang and moderator Manuel Livingston, Assistant Professor of Radiologic Technology and Chairperson of CCC, each echoed aspects of the President’s sentiments. Provost Wang commended the organizers for putting together an event that fosters an inclusive, safe, and supportive campus community, noting its importance in today’s world. And Livingston reflected on the positive and negative aspects of social media. “We can share pictures, we can share our stories,” he said. “But it is also a platform for some negativity that’s out there.” He shared that he hoped Lane’s presentation, in conjunction with the student-panel, would empower others to counter the effects of cyberbullying.  
 
An expert in communications, Lane laid the groundwork for a discussion on productive and respectful civil discourse with a presentation on the uses and effectiveness of authentic listening. Authentic listening, he explained, is listening to understand, learn from others, nurture a relationship, and with an intent to act on information received. It is also listening as a form of empathy rather than apathy, sympathy or identification. He explained that people can become better authentic listeners by being mindful while listening, reflecting back what they hear others say in conversation, and thinking like an ethnographer by contextualizing people’s words, comparing what they say to what they do, and educating themselves. 

_{Hostos students Pierre George, Emmanuel Cornelio, Kimberley Hill and Viviva Thompson engage in a discussion about cyberbullying.} 

During the panel discussion, students Pierre George, Emmanuel Cornelio, Kimberley Hill and Viviva Thompson reflected on how they either have or would use Lane’s authentic listening strategies to counter cyberbullying and its effects. Answering a hypothetical question about how she would help her child navigate cyberbullying, Thompson said she would implement listening as a form of empathy to help them feel heard and interrupt the cycle of bullying. “I would just show them compassion… and empathy first, but also let them know that is the place that they need to lead from,” she said.” Because I feel like oftentimes what happens is the bullying perpetuates more bullying, so the victim becomes a bully because they’re being bullied. I think that’s something to be mindful of.”
 
Hill took a more ethnographic approach, saying she feels it is important to “expose people to positive cultural differences” to help them build empathy and understanding. Additionally, both Cornelio and George discussed the importance of having access to supportive sounding boards. “The main thing is that you have to talk to somebody about it so that you don’t get stuck in that place,” shared Cornelio. George added that he actively shows his son that he is valued and loved in an effort to help build his self-esteem and show him that his father will be a loving support system for him, always. 
 
The CCC organized the discussion in collaboration with the CUNY Anti-Hate Initiative, a multi-year initiative that aims to educate the CUNY community about diverse groups' identities and experiences. Hostos’ College Civility Committee is guided by a mission to foster an inclusive, safe, considerate, and respectful learning and working environment for all. Learn more here.