I haven't seen anyone (in this thread) suggesting that the vote has generated attitudes that weren't already there, or that it has increased the number of xenophobes in the UK: What people have suggested is that certain elements have been empowered by the vote, which seems to be the case. Instances of school children being taunted and told they're not wanted in the country, or elderly women of German descent being hassled by their neighbours, weren't commonplace (but, remarkably, not covered by any media outlet) before the vote.
This entire phenomenon (what people experience as a development for the worse in terms of openly expressed hostility) can't be dreamed up by hysterical Remainers. I don't buy that for one second. It will hopefully be a temporary surge – but that doesn't mean it's some sort of illusion created by the media.