How to be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back

Foreign affairs analyst Jankowicz (How to Lose the Information War) delivers a concise, functional handbook for women looking to combat online abuse. Contending that harassment is “the norm for many women engaged in public discourse,” Jankowicz’s advice ranges from “cyber hygiene” practices like two-factor authentication to a darkly humorous psychological analysis of trolling personalities and how to manage them. Jankowicz also discusses the harassment policies of online platforms, and offers ideas on how to build a supportive community of female peers and mentors. Though she provides plenty of data about the ubiquity of sexism and harassment online, she grounds her advice in her own experiences and the experiences of several other high-profile women, including cybersecurity journalist Nicole Perlroth, Guardian columnist Van Badham, and game designer Brianna Wu, who was targeted in the Gamergate harassment campaign. Jankowicz’s advice is strategic, focused, and eminently usable, and her assertion that women need to be there to help one another while also fighting for change feels simultaneously supportive and motivational. This is an essential guide for women interested in standing up for a fairer, safer online world. (Apr.)