Diligence Duty

Small decisions, big impact!
In finance, every click, every review, every checkbox matters. With Duty Diligence, we target precisely...

  1. banking

  2. finance

  3. Peer Review

  4. Research

  5. Review process

  6. Science

TruePrice

Our data-based information nudge creates transparency in the ordering process with the help of an internal dashboard of a comparison...

  1. Offer

  2. Price decision

  3. Procurement

  4. White-collar crime

Fake or fact

Our nudge is a digital tool - embedded in social media platforms or browser extensions. It allows users to report...

  1. Digital platforms

  2. Fact check

  3. Fake News

  4. Media competence

  5. Politics

  6. Social media

Integrity in Every Entry

Our nudge takes a stand against the silent tolerance of billing fraud in the healthcare sector. We rely on a...

  1. Billing fraud

  2. Healthcare

  3. Incorrect treatment

  4. pharmaceutical industry

CultureSTRONG

Our Nudge is an annual plaque awarded to cultural institutions for their active commitment to combating the abuse of power....

  1. Abuse of power

  2. badge

  3. Creative industry

  4. Cultural sector

  5. Digital platforms

  6. Social media

Together against hate

Part 1 – Pop-up in the comment section:
Notice above the comment section: “Help to stop hate! – 6...

  1. Digital platforms

  2. Hate comments

  3. Online hate

  4. Social media

The Laughing Gas Nudge

The Laughing Gas Nudge is designed to reduce society’s passive acceptance and toleration of launching gas use among adolescents and...

  1. Abuse

  2. Consumption

  3. Health

  4. Healthcare

  5. Intoxicant

  6. Laughing gas

  7. pharmaceutical industry

blue mirror

We are pleased to present our idea “blue mirror”, an interactive app that aims to encourage participants to regularly self-reflect...

  1. Group cohesion

  2. Military forces

  3. Police

  4. Racism

  5. Security forces

  6. Sexism

Too much of a good thing

Our Nudge starts exactly where overtime has become the tacit normality. The aim is to critically question the widespread tolerance...

  1. Manager

  2. occupational health and saftey

  3. Overtime

  4. Work culture

Burnout costs - nudging protects

Information nudge for burnout prevention in companies through regular calendar impulses for managers. A short, gentle reminder in Outlook is...

  1. Burnout

  2. Mental load

  3. occupational health and safety

  4. Work load

  5. Work place

No playing with time

Our hourglass nudge effectively highlights the relevance of time-wasting in football to support compliance with the new regulation coming into...

  1. doping

  2. Referee

  3. Soccer

  4. Sport

  5. Time game

Better Reviews. Better Science

Our nudge is a three-part system of incentives and reminders designed to subtly encourage peer reviewers to adopt more careful...

  1. Peer Review

  2. Research

  3. Science

Comrade Code

Our nudge aims to raise awareness about the fine line between traditional camaraderie and borderline rituals (hazing) within the military....

  1. Bullying

  2. Comradeship

  3. Hazing

  4. Military

  5. safety forces

GenderGuard

Our nudge is a "gender bias check" with supervisor notification. This means: An AI-based tool automatically checks every new job...

  1. Gender Bias

  2. Gender discrimination

  3. Job advertisement

  4. Managers

  5. occupational health safety

Break-Buddy

Our Nudge is an Outlook add-in that provides managers with an automatic feedback report on their team's break culture. The...

  1. Break culture

  2. Development

  3. occupational health and safety

  4. Recreation

  5. Work life

Together against hate

Together against hate

Part 1 – Pop-up in the comment section:
Notice above the comment section: “Help to stop hate! – 6 out of 10 people in the Instagram community report hate comments. Do you?”
A social reference value is integrated to motivate users to take action. An additional button labeled “Learn how to report” is available for users who don’t know how to do it – this is intended to lower the inhibition threshold and further increase the likelihood of action.

Part 2 – Pop-up after reporting a comment:
After a comment has been reported, a short message appears: “Thank you for your report – you’re making a difference!”
Users should feel that their contribution matters and makes a difference. This feedback is intended to reinforce their behavior and increase the likelihood that they will continue to report hate comments in the future. The pop-up also includes a link titled: “Learn why reporting hate comments matters.” This leads users to an information page explaining the benefits of reporting hate comments.

What does the topic mean?

Tolerance of hate comments on social media:
Although online hate is becoming increasingly widespread, especially among young people, many users still fail to take active steps against it. According to a Forsa study (2024), 93% of people aged 14 to 44 have already encountered hate comments online, compared to only 63% of those over the age of 60. However, only 32% of all respondents stated that they had ever reported such a comment.

The consequences:
Hate comments can lead to feelings of helplessness in those affected and have a negative impact on their mental health. Another serious issue is the threat to public discourse. Some users no longer dare to express their opinions publicly or to speak out against the status quo, fearing they will face hate or rejection (Das NETTZ, 2024).

Goal of the nudge

The nudge intends to ensure that hate comments are no longer tolerated but actively reported. Social media users should no longer remain passive but work together to reduce the spread of hate on social platforms. They should start to see reporting as an effective and meaningful action. When hate comments are reported more frequently, it also sends a clear signal to those who post them: their behavior is not tolerated. This, in turn, could contribute to a general decline in such comments.

    Needs analysis

    • For our needs assessment, we first conducted our own study. In this study, 36% of participants reported seeing hate comments at least once a day, and 37% said they see more than five hate comments daily. Only 4% stated that they had never seen a hate comment. This highlights how prevalent hate is perceived to be on social platforms. We also surveyed the tolerance of such comments. In our survey, 42% of respondents said they had never reported a hate comment, and another 47% reported doing so only rarely. Only 11% stated that they regularly report hate comments. These findings confirm the relevance of our nudge by showing that online hate is both highly visible and largely tolerated — indicating a need for change to encourage users to take more active steps against hate.

    Cause analysis

    • Drop-in-the-Bucket-Effekt:

      In our self-conducted survey, we also aimed to investigate the reasons behind this tolerance. Here, 62% of respondents stated that they believe reporting hate comments has no effect. This can be explained, among other things, by the drop in the bucket effect. This refers to the feeling that one’s own contribution is insignificant. Many people think: “Whether I report it or not doesn’t make a difference.” If everyone thinks this way, no comment gets reported – even though many find it problematic. This internal mindset undermines the awareness that many small actions together can indeed make a difference.

    • Diffusion of resposibility:

      Additionally, 26% of our respondents stated that they do not feel responsible for reporting such comments. This can be explained by a diffusion of responsibility. On social media, hate comments are often visible to hundreds or even thousands of people. This leads individuals to believe that someone else will take care of it. Responsibility is spread across so many shoulders that hardly anyone feels personally accountable.

    • Bystander effect:

      The bystander effect also plays a role here. The mere presence of others reduces the likelihood that someone will actually intervene. This creates a kind of collective inaction – people observe, but feel inhibited from taking action.

Target Group

Our nudge addresses all users of social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and others. This means it targets virtually everyone and has the potential to reach a broad audience.

Added value of the nudge

  • If hate is less tolerated on social networks, they can become a more pleasant, tolerant, and respectful place. The goal is to create an environment where diverse opinions are accepted and everyone can express their personal views in a respectful manner, thereby promoting public discourse.

  • Furthermore, a lower tolerance for hate on social media reduces the burden on those affected. Hate comments are often directed at individuals, for whom a safer environment should also be established. So in general, the aim is to foster respectful interactions among users.

CONTACT US

Giulia Thülig

giulia.thuelig@stud.hshl.de

Lukas Gorny

lukas.gorny@stud.hshl.de

Julia Dangel

julia.dangel@stud.hshl.de