Online and abuse is a topic we tend to discuss a lot this time in life, as social media and most topics and subject matters are now held online. In the article “Better Online Living Through Content Moderation,” Melissa King explains the abuse and harm that online media can cause others without content control features. Explaining that some users possibly suffer from PTSD or can develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) because of the online bullying and topics that could trigger anxiety, King believes content filters are valuable and should be used for mostly every website. King then spoke out upon the criticism individual’s face when expressing their opposition to the subject matter and how it becomes the victim’s issue once attacked through the internet. King stated “This advice is generalized to the point of uselessness, because not every “disagreement” is a simple difference of opinion: there are online aggressors that genuinely invoke anxiety attacks, or subject people to threats of violence. Content control is helpful in limiting the worst of these attacks, which themselves can cause PTSD if severe or long-term enough” on the belief that victims should ‘just deal with it.’ Although she believes content control isn’t guaranteed to stop abuse, she believes it will limit the amount of abuse and shouldn’t be discouraged.

King later touched on the topic of exposure therapy and how those who face PTSD are not just sensitive individuals, as it is possible to limit their trauma from PTSD. King explained exposure therapy as “a type of therapy designed to combat severe anxiety through gradual and controlled exposure to its source, to inure an individual to these triggers and lesson the disruptions they can cause. The misapplication of this concept to content control discussions represents a misunderstanding of human psychology: Exposure Therapy is not about having random internet strangers hurl insults and threats at someone with the hope they somehow come out more mentally durable.” She agreed that it may not be completely curable but it is better to attempt to limit the amount of exposure those individuals face with content filters. King also began to speak out on those individuals who opposed the content filters (the ones who believe that some individuals just are too soft and they are just mean words so they should get over themselves) by noting a credible psychologist whose primary field of study is anxiety, Caleb Lack. King wants others to realize the severity of this harassment and that long-term exposure is a cause to PTSD.

To conclude the article King finalized the discussion with the depth of blocking lists and how even those can be easily gotten around. In the article King explained women are primary targets for online abuse but any individual can be subject to online abuse. King believes “people should be allowed to set their own personal boundaries, and disregarding those personal boundaries should be seen as disrespectful at best.” King hopes that through this article people will begin to see the harm online abuse can cause and that people should be allowed to mitigate from situations they can’t handle.