Guest columnist of this week is Lina Nydahl, the editor in charge of the online version of Swedish equestrian magazine Ridsport. She published this column, which she titled "The Crooked Arm in the Digital World" first in Ridsport number 17/2024.
Do the nuanced voices keep falling silent in the debate on horse welfare, drowned out by the aggressive and loud ones? This is what Ridsport's web editor Lina Nydahl thinks about the issue after a meeting about security on social media.
More Nuanced Voices Are Needed on Social Media
Recently, I participated in a lecture day arranged by the Skåne Equestrian Association, where we discussed safety issues and the climate on social media. What emerged was both disturbing and, unfortunately, not particularly surprising.
Several participants – trainers, riders, elected representatives and judges – expressed a clear fear of providing commentary in public, whether in a private or professional capacity. They felt that loud and often aggressive voices dominate the discussion, creating a false impression that their views represent the majority. In fact, it is often the other way around, but the nuanced voices are silenced in fear of being in the firing line. The result? A one-sided and distorted discussion.
This is not a new phenomenon. Back in 2016, after the refugee crisis, Swedish journalist Minna Dennert started the Facebook group #jagärhär . The group, which now has over 70,000 members, works actively against hate and threats in social media. The members advise each other where the group's presence is needed, to support the vulnerable through nuanced comments and fact-checked information.
This type of counter movement is also needed in equestrian sport, because this is not just about moderating comment fields, it's about how we all act and behave in social media. Right now, equestrian sport's justification for existence is being questioned from several sides, and if the loudest, negative voices dominate without being met with facts and respect, we risk losing something much bigger than individual discussions.
The challenge surrounding this is as important as improved horse welfare. More nuanced voices need to take place in the digital conversations. Without that counterbalance, we are all playing roulette with the future of the sport. It is high time that we join hands - not only in horse welfare issues, but also in the digital world.
-- by Lina Nydahl
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