Mo Gilligan x The Cybersmile Foundation – What’s banter?

In a digital era in which we live, online bullying is an issue which has affected thousands of young people across the UK. Instagram is committed to leading the industry in the fight against online bullying, and continue to create experiences to meet that commitment.

That’s why Instagram has partnered with The Cybersmile Foundation, an international non-profit organisation providing support for victims of cyberbullying and online hate. As part of the partnership, stand-up comedian Mo Gilligan is helping to lead the campaign.

In conversation with Mo Gilligan, we spoke about what banter really is and it’s really simple. If the other person has stopped laughing, guess what?
It isn’t funny and you should stop at the expense of not insulting the person you’re speaking with.

What happens though if you’re not the one directing the banter and can see the impact it’s having on the person? Step in. That’s all it takes. By re-directing the conversation and highlighting that it’s not a joke, you hold the other person accountable and prevent the scenario from reoccurring.

We learn through communication and actions. If a situation is uncomfortable for you, it makes no sense to put someone else through that too. “Boys will be boys”, “it’s just lad culture”, “she needs to grow thicker skin”, these are all excuses to disguise a toxic environment that can take place at work, in education or with friends.

Dan Raisbeck, Co-founder of Cybersmile explains how his research shows too many young people are on the receiving end of bullying which is being masked as banter. This happens online and offline, and the two cannot be treated in isolation.

“We urge people to think about when they are overstepping the mark and to challenge others who do so. By talking openly about this issue, we can help ensure that banter is kept safe from the bullies.”

It turns out more than half (51%) of young people (13-18-year-olds) think banter is sometimes used as an excuse for bullying.

• Two thirds (66%) of young people who have seen a friend left upset or insulted by banter have done so at least once a month – over a third (39%) see this occur weekly.

So how exactly is Instagram taking measures to prevent online bullying and hate?

Kira Wong O’Connor, EMEA Policy Programmes Manager for Instagram, believes  “banter should never be used as an excuse for bullying. We’re working hard to empower people to tackle bullying behaviour on Instagram. Whether that’s restricting a bully from seeing when you’re online, or giving you the option to post Stories to Close Friends only.