@inproceedings{3465705,
    title = "DECOLONISING THE INTERNET: EXPERIENCES OF (CYBER)BULLYING AND DEVELOPING COLLECTIVE CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS FOR YOUTH OF AFRICAN DESCENT IN ATHENS",
    author = "Kainaat Maqbool, and Liza Tsaliki",
    year = "2025",
    pages = "01-05",
    publisher = "AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research",
    booktitle = "The 25th Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers",
    doi = "https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2024i0.13998",
    keywords = "Afrophobia, Cyberbullying, Collective Critical Consciousness, Racial Bullying, Racial Cyberbullying",
    abstract = "This study explores the intricate convergence of Afrophobia and its projection through (Cyber)Bullying for youth of African descent in Greece. It comprehensively documents the colonialistic nature of the internet and Western scholarship in perpetuating racial (cyber)bullying. Furthermore, the study experiments with the idea of Collective Critical Consciousness and its application to transform the internet into a race-sensitive industry. The study bridges the gap in racially sensitive, decolonial research on (Cyber)Bullying by involving those affected as nowledge-holders in Creative Participatory Action Research. 

The findings advance AfroGreek youth's proclamation of social media as a breeding ground for racism and how their proactive participation can help reshape the internet. It also results in developing Critical Consciousness as mapped out through the knowledge holders' involvement in Critical Action, Political Self-Efficacy, and Critical Reflection. The output actively contributes to creating impactful internet-based interventions and towards a more inclusive and informed societal framework. Finally, the study proves the efficacy of critical and diverse involvement through the launch of a youth-directed Anti-Bullying Collective."
}