Scrolling through social media feels routine—just another mindless activity to pass the time. But every so often, something catches my eye. A comment section flooded with “jokes” about brown people, blatant stereotypes disguised as memes and people who appear to take this all in stride. It’s all there, out in the open, liked, shared and laughed at. And the worst part? Hardly anyone seems to care.

Racism online isn’t new, but what’s alarming is how casually it’s accepted now. Social media has turned it into background noise—something people see, shrug off and move past. For brown people, that “background noise” is daily reality. Open TikTok, Twitter or Instagram and you’ll see videos mocking accents, smells, skin tones and clothes. Videos titled, “Be Indian or drink vinegar” or “Be Pakistani or walk on legos”—as if being brown is so bad that literal pain or humiliation would be the better option. The comments? Full of people laughing, reinforcing the idea that this is just harmless fun.

But is it? Because when something as ridiculous as “Be Indian or ____” is posted for millions to see, it’s not just a joke, it’s a statement about how the internet views brown people. And the worst part is, this kind of content isn’t even considered offensive by most platforms. It slides past community guidelines, circulates freely and even gets boosted by algorithms because it generates engagement.

This kind of racism thrives online for one simple reason: there are no real consequences. Behind a screen, people feel untouchable. They say things they would never dare repeat in person, knowing that a delete button or private profile can shield them from accountability. There’s a level of detachment that makes the words feel less real—but for those on the receiving end, the impact is very real.

So why is this happening now? A big part of it is exposure. Social media algorithms push what gets engagement, and controversy—especially racial controversy—draws attention. The more people interact with this type of content, even if it’s to call it out, the more the algorithm spreads it. Over time, it starts feeling normal. What would’ve been shocking five years ago is now just another trend on social media.

Beyond the algorithms, there lies the deeper issue, which is a lack of empathy. When racism gets filtered through a screen, it’s easy to forget that real people are affected. The internet has desensitized us, making hate speech feel like just another part of the online experience. Words that would be unacceptable in a face-to-face conversation are thrown around casually because there’s no immediate reaction—no visible pain, no confrontation. And when it comes to brown communities specifically, online racism often gets ignored or downplayed. The focus of anti-racism conversations tends to center on certain groups, leaving others with little support when they face discrimination. This implies that some racism is worth fighting, while other forms are just the price of being online.

So where do we go from here? It starts with refusing to let casual racism slide. Call it out, report it, refuse to engage with content that thrives on hate. But more importantly, we need to rebuild the empathy that social media has stripped away. Behind every comment, every post, every viral “joke,” there’s a real person on the receiving end. It’s time we started acting like it.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Anoushka Jena at [email protected].