I think there are a few things. I am interested in educating boys about this issue. There is a gigantic gap. In the United States recently there was a survey that showed that more than 50% of American men think that sexism is dead and gone. The largest gap is among the youngest people. That's a problem because they are the most likely to be using these media, and also young women are the most likely to be targeted.
The way we all develop a way of determining on the street what is safe and unsafe is the way we do the same thing online. In an instance like that, you probably felt like you could respond to him without an army of people coming after you. That is one legitimate response.
Another response that I think is useful is to flip the switch on a network of support so that you are not in the line of fire. That's very important. For those of us who are public, and who are engaging in these spaces, I know that I could not do it without a network of support. Sometimes I realize that if I do that right now, then it will literally derail my week. I can turn to proxies and allies and say, “This is going on, I need your help”. That seems to help a lot.
I think that is the mildest form we're talking about. I recently read an article about women politicians, and I will be honest that what I'm deeply disturbed about is the degree to which women politicians are turned into pornography in massive numbers, and when they have daughters, it happens to their daughters, too. That is a serious issue that we're not dealing with socially.