Samhällsfenomen eller Samhällsproblem? : En kvantitativ studie om sambandet mellan sociala medier och kränkningskulturen.

Sammanfattning: Insult and the personal experience of being insulted constitute an ongoing societal issue. Despite the existence of a legally defined definition of insult, a new and controversial culture known as “the culture of offense” has emerged. The starting point of this study is to examine the phenomenon more closely to gain a better understanding of its nature and significance. The purpose of the study is to investigate social media as a possible cause, from the perspective of teachers, focusing on middle school students. Through a quantitative questionnaire, middle school teachers in schools located in Gävle and Uppsala were asked questions regarding students’ behavior in school in relation to their social media usage. Although only 11 respondents answered, it is evident that several individuals perceive change in student behavior associated with their media usage and a growing culture of offense. Several arguments pertaining to the culture of offense is further discussed in the text. One argument may be that the new culture has promoted a more open society where individuals are more inclined to express themselves in unjust situations. On the other hand, the importance of legal protection and freedom of speech is emphasized. The paper raises questions about how to ensure legal protection for those accused of insult and how to uphold the principle of free expression when people are afraid to voice their opinions. The text concludes by emphasizing the importance of being aware of and paying attention to new phenomena in society, even though experience of insult is subjective and vary among individuals.