To say that cyberbullying has become a problem on social media would be a dire understatement. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been plagued with hate speech for years, causing millions of users to jump ship for less vitriolic experiences online. Meta is hoping to quell some of this behavior, though, by instituting a small feature that has actually been proven to cut back on cyberbullying. As for how effective this method will be at deterring cyberbullies from badgering those on the platform, Instagram insists that research shows these kinds of messages do have a positive impact when it comes to hate speech. How well does it actually work? Research from Instagram noted that when users are confronted with these kinds of nudges, imploring them to reconsider messages that might violate community guidelines, at least 50% of them were edited or deleted afterwards. In fact, one study found that 95% of content creators on the platform stated that they had received some kind of hate or harassment on Instagram at some point in their careers. Suffice it to say, the problem has become big enough to warrant some kind of intervention. Unfortunately, companies like Meta haven’t been up to the task as of yet. One report found that Instagram failed to take action on over 8,700 direct messages sent to five high-profile women that were filled with hate and harassment. Yes, Meta has booted problematic users off platforms like Facebook and Instagram before, but only in the direst of situations, like inciting an insurrection or spewing antisemitic rhetoric to millions of followers. In most cases, though, the social media giant is willing to give users the benefit of the doubt time and time again, until, many would argue, it’s too late. The debate over free speech and hate speech has become that much more prevalent through social media, and there really isn’t an easy solution. Although, perhaps when Elon Musk takes over Twitter, we’ll get to see what he can do about it.
