THE outpouring of solidarity that the world experienced in the spring of 2020 in the midst of early lockdowns is old news. According to a Microsoft study, online incivilities were on the rise between 2020 and 2021. At least that's the perception shared by the 11,000 participants from 22 countries in this study.


More than a year after the start of the pandemic, what impact has covid-19 had on online aggression? This is what Microsoft wanted to find out through a survey.* Out of the 22 countries studied, only respondents from one, Colombia, reported having the impression of a more positive attitude on the networks. Of all the people surveyed, 82% perceived a decline in online civility since the first measures against COVID-19 were implemented. The survey compares results from another, from June 2020, which showed rather encouraging results.


For example, the statement "People have been more encouraging to each other" dropped by 8 points, from 57% last year to 49%. It's hard to argue with these numbers as there has been a greater sense of distrust on social networks since the pandemic began. The percentage of those agreeing with the statement "I see more people helping other people" has dropped to 56% globally, compared to 67% last year. Not surprisingly, the feeling of "a greater sense of community" has also dropped significantly, from 62% to 50% in July 2021.


COVID has played a major role

Pandemic fatigue played a role in increasing the score in three of the five negative categories. According to the survey, people are more likely to vent their frustrations on networks (67%, +7%) and intolerance in the community has increased slightly from 54% in 2020 to 59% in 2021. Personal attacks and derogatory comments seem to have increased, at least in the minds of the respondents.


The only good news? There has been a slight decrease in the spreading of false and misleading information, from 67 to 60%. Of course, all this represents simply how web users are feeling, but the results do reflect a general feeling of loss of trust between different communities on social networks.