In an age highly focused on the internet and social media, online bullying has always been an issue. Earlier this year, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the company will attempt to lead the industry in fighting against cyber bullying. The social media platform has recently introduced two new features for the cause.
The first new feature is aimed towards encouraging positive interactions amongst users. Powered by artificial intelligence, Instagram will now notify users when their comments include offensive words before they are posted. The intention of this intervention is to allow people to have a moment to reflect their actions, preventing others from receiving harmful comments.
The second feature protects you from interactions you wish to restrict. "We’ve heard from young people in our community that they’re reluctant to block, unfollow, or report their bully because it could escalate the situation, especially if they interact with their bully in real life. Some of these actions also make it difficult for a target to keep track of their bully’s behavior," an official statement reads. With the ‘Restrict’ feature you will be able to limit certain comments on your posts visible to that specific person who left the comment. Those who are restricted won’t be able to check your active hours on Instagram or when you’ve check their direct messages.
Mosseri also shared, "It’s our responsibility to create a safe environment on Instagram. This has been an important priority for us for some time, and we are continuing to invest in better understanding and tackling this problem. I look forward to sharing more updates soon."
In case you missed it, read about the platform’s new "Chat" option for Instagram Stories.
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