Better Online Living through Content Moderation

In the article, Better Online Living Through Content Moderation, Melissa King addresses the usefulness of content control features, their benefits for people suffering from various psychological and sociological issues, and also discusses the arguments of people who are against the usage of content control features.

The author begins the article by introducing types of content control features which are: content/ trigger warnings, block and ignore functions, block-lists, and privacy options. These content controls may be valuable to different people for different reasons. Some people may utilize these functions because of mental disorders such as PTSD, which causes them to avoid people or topics that may trigger anxiety. Some users may not suffer from a mental disorder, but simply choose to make their online experience less irritating.

Backlash that people who utilize content control features include often times being labeled as “weak” or “too sensitive”. The effect of such negative criticism according to King creates “a culture that pressures people to expose themselves to experiences far more catastrophic than they can handle” (2015). Content control limits the effects of attacks by online aggressors. The article as a whole aims to express that the use of these features should be encouraged rather than disparaged and discouraged.

When people receive abuse and harassment a huge argument is that the victim should be “less sensitive”. King combats and discredits this argument by introducing exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is defined as a type of therapy designed to fight severe anxiety through gradual and controlled exposure to its source. People that suggest content control users should be less sensitive are suggesting that exposure therapy is invalid. Exposure therapy does not involve interacting with strangers on the internet and enduring insults and threats. Arguments that are made against content controls also rely on myths such as online harassment only being words said on the internet with no real threat to the safety of someone or their family. This is a false argument because threats online can cause harm to the mental well being of individuals. Online bullying can cause PTSD. This disorder is not only attributed to veterans.

Tactics in which people use on the internet to silence indiviuals include: stalking, threatening, and other forms of intimidation. The only viable course of action to “dampen the assault” is through the use of the blocking tool. Abuse such as this is not rare at all and is actually seen more when assault is targeted towards women. Usually assault aimed at women can be seen more in “male-dominated” area such as video game and tech industries. The online abuse of women is well documented and such a problem that the UN hosted an event that allowed women in these industries to share detailed accounts of personal abuse that they’ve endured.

King concludes her article by stating that people should not have to be subjected to abuse, threats, and other content that threatens their mental stability. If a person doesn’t want to employ the saying of “don’t feed the trolls” they should not be labelled as being “too sensitive” or “weak”. Different people have different triggers, troubles, anxiety, and fears. The need for control blocking features are necessary for some and not for others.