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These days it's very easy to

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These days it's very easy to hide behind a screen

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and just abuse people.

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At the time of Covid,

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there became a significant increase

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in online abuse related to football

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and it became a battleground

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for people to abuse each other.

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I posted about a player signing for a team

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and someone comes into the comments

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and directs an ableist slur at me.

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Language such as, “R*tard.” “Sp*stic.” ”M*ng.”

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was being used quite regularly at this recent Euros

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because this language has negative connotations.

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A well-known player was abused

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following a goal that he’d scored

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it wasn't by somebody

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that supported the opposition team.

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It was someone at the other end of the country

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who had lost a bet.

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We were able to get a banning order for that individual

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and we needed to educate that individual

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on the impact it has on so many people.

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Social media companies don't seem to be

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capable of tackling the level of abuse

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or I don't know if they care.