In the article, “Better Online Living Through Content Moderation”, Melissa King explains the two sides of the argument about whether content control tools are right or wrong. She begins by stating how being able to control the content that comes up online is very important to some people, especially people with post traumatic stress disorder. Then of course there are those people who just enjoy not having to see every little thing that is on the internet, it is nice to be able to filter what you see online to an extent. Using tools for social moderation is somewhat mocked in society though. It is said that people who choose to use these tools to filter what they see online are weak and that they overreact to what they are exposed to, because it is not that big of a deal in the eyes of society.
Melissa King goes on to explain how malicious the web can be. There are people online who purposely try to inflict anxiety on others. Some people can be so aggressive that they go as far as to make threats towards others. Tools that control content online are helpful in these situations.
People who are against content control use the argument that the ones who use content control are just too sensitive. They say this in a failed attempt to relate to the idea of exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a type of therapy that exposes a person with anxiety to material that could cause problems a little bit at a time. Key words being a little at a time, because if people who have anxiety are exposed to this type of material all at once with no filter, it could cause relapse or more damage. Therefore, content control assists in exposure therapy for people who have problems with anxiety.
Another argument against content control King points out is that many people think that online harassment is limited to aggressors only saying mean thing. Our society generally does not believe that online harassment can cause post traumatic stress disorder. Melissa King says that post traumatic stress disorder is largely caused by being exposed to harmful things such as harassment over a long period of time.
Melissa King then goes on to talk about blocklists. Blocklists are a form of filtering content that hide unwanted media online. Some people are against blocklists in that they believe they are being defamed for what they say when they are put on a blocklist. Another argument made against blocklists is that it is not right for a person’s experience online to be influenced by another.On the other hand, people are for blocklists because they can keep online harassment from happening. Having blocklists can keep those who are malicious online from being able to affect others.
Women are often targets of malicious online behavior. King points out that women involved in areas that are male dominant are more susceptible to being attacked with derogatory speech and threats. By using content control, the criticism women receive can be limited.
In conclusion, no matter why people are against content control tools, the tools are still important. Having them can help people with anxiety not have to face content that could potentially cause them to have a break down. Being able to filter what comes up online can help prevent people from getting post traumatic stress disorder from over exposure to malicious content on the web. Having the ability to block or ignore material online cuts down on harassment from aggressors. Tools that are able to control online content are simply necessary for some people to enjoy the web.