Dehumanization is a reflexive process where a lack of media literacy leads to dehumanizing the Other. By extension, as person A does not see person B as human, person A is more inclined to resort to violence. The same process applies in reverse (mirror image), and is amplified by every cycle.

Step 1: We introduced our network to the many ways identities can be misrepresented on social media, leading audiences (media consumers) to begin dehumanizing them

Step 2: We have partnered with LifeAferHate, who has allowed us to market their testimonials so as to educate audiences on the perils of dehumanizing others: becoming violent. The process of dehumanizing others is linked to the likelihood of marginalized identities becoming subject to hate inspired violence. Our stories stress that becoming violent harms the self and the community.

Step 3: Breaking the cycle, using media literacy. In “Making a case for media literacy in the curriculum: Outcomes and Assessment” Erica Scharrer states that, “ The results of participation in media-literacy curricula are not often explicitly defined and measured, but there is a generalized notion about what outcomes are. Media literacy often incorporates the goal of “discriminating responsiveness” or the fostering of critical analysis in its participants (Brown, 1998). Media literacy involves “asking questions about what you watch, see and read” (Hobbs, 2001, p.5), thus encouraging the outcome of ongoing critical inquiry.” Scharrer, Erica. “Making a Case for Media Literacy in the Curriculum: Outcomes and Assessment.” Journal of Adolescent &Amp; Adult Literacy, vol. 46, no. 4, 2002, pp. 354–358. www.jstor.org/stable/40013592