ITV speaks out against trolling by ‘casual critics’

’Would You Say It?’ seeks to bring about behavioral change by inviting circumspection, asking why it is OK to type a hurtful comment but not say it.

The ad will run during the England v Brazil women’s football match broadcast on ITV1 and is designed to reach out to so-called ’casual critics’ responsible for the majority of troll-like behavior who pass off their actions as ’banter’.

Three executions, developed by ITV Creative, bring guilty parties face-to-face with those on the receiving end of their hurtful comments and what happens when keyboard warriors are no longer able to hide behind a screen.

Scott Freeman, CEO of The Cybersmile Foundation, remarked: “Unfortunately, too many people are unaware of the potential impact that our words can have on those that we interact with online. We want this campaign to remind people that comments and words shared online carry great power and that we need to consider our use of them in the same way that we are mindful of what we say offline.”

Part of a broader campaign by the broadcaster to tackle online abuse, the work guides people to a custom WouldYouSayIt.itv website and is complemented by training materials for people participating in shows produced or commissioned by ITV.

Susie Braun, director of social purpose at ITV, added: “So much of our lives are now spent online, so it’s important to think about our mental wellbeing there too. Trolling dressed up as ’banter’ is having a real impact on lives beyond the screen...”

A social media awareness hub has also been created to empower participants to manage unwanted social media attention.

ITV’s intervention comes on the back of research suggesting that posting negative comments online has become normalized to the extent that 51% of adults say that if people don’t want to receive negative comments, they shouldn’t post on social media.