When the Only Thing Being Overheard is Bullying and Harassment

Online groups can be a powerful way to build community, but when moderation is abandoned, or when admins embrace bullying and harassment, those same groups can become breeding grounds for hate, hostility, and abuse. In Guelph, we’ve watched this happen with a once-popular group that university students joined for lighthearted campus humour and relatable community chatter.

Today, what’s being “overheard” isn’t funny. It’s deeply troubling.

What began as a student-oriented page has devolved into a space filled with personal attacks, off-topic rants, and targeted harassment. Threads that once sparked conversation now amplify cruelty. Racist, sexist, and bigoted comments are posted openly and cheered on by a bitter echo chamber of users, many of whom were banned from well-moderated groups like Caught in Guelph (and Area) for violating Facebook Community Standards and Terms of Service.

A recent post shows how far the space has slipped. A member shared graffiti that named a local resident and referred to his perceived sexual orientation, then deliberately drew attention to it for public ridicule. When a community repeatedly provides a platform for racist remarks, homophobic taunts, and personal attacks, and that content is amplified or laughed at instead of meaningfully addressed, it can reasonably be viewed as facilitating bullying and harassment rather than harmless humour.

Among those who engaged with the post is a candidate currently seeking a Ward 2 council seat, whose account interacted through supporting reacts. A reaction alone does not establish someone’s intentions, but it placed a municipal candidate within the same hive of online activity surrounding the public humiliation of a named resident. Voters can decide whether that reflects the judgment and conduct they expect from someone seeking public office.

This is worth paying attention to well beyond one candidate or one post. Who chooses to engage with toxic bullying and harassment, whether by commenting, laughing, or reacting, says something about them. That applies to anyone with a public profile, including candidates for office and bloggers who write about local issues. Those who seek public trust or an audience should expect their online associations to be noticed, and residents are entitled to weigh them.

It’s no coincidence that such a toxic group no longer grows. Students no longer engage. Local residents have distanced themselves. And businesses won’t touch it. It’s become a hostile space where the loudest voices are those with the least to contribute – those who use their keyboards to tear others down rather than build community up.

When standards slide and trolls take over, a group stops being a community and becomes a digital wasteland. The only thing truly “overheard” now is the sound of decency leaving the room.

Meanwhile, spaces like Caught in Guelph (and Area) continue to thrive at an unprecedented rate, with more than 100,000 members. Why? Because we moderate. We protect our members. We remove those who bully, harass, or spread hate. It’s a place where families, neighbours, and business owners can connect, share, and support one another.

Guelph deserves online spaces that reflect the values we hold offline: respect, kindness, and community. Join the Caught in Guelph (and Area) community today and be part of a positive local community.