Source: Magnific.com
Information on the internet is free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection, but not everything you read online is a fact. To separate right from wrong, you need background knowledge of the subject you are reading about, but doing extensive research on every topic is not possible, especially when you are viewing content on platforms that mostly provide short-form content.
People view and move on to the next post or reel. But even spending a few seconds reading or viewing something online can affect your thinking pattern. Therefore, the content we see online must be moderated. Let’s discuss how content moderation helps filter misinformation and create a safe space for social media users.
- Reduce Harmful Content
Social media is an outlet for people to express their views. Sometimes, people just express their hate and discrimination toward a particular community in the guise of voicing their opinion. Content moderation solutions remove content that incites hatred or harm towards a specific community. Removing such content helps make online platforms safe for everyone.
- Control Misinformation
People use different social media platforms as their source of information. Even if you are not actively seeking news, random posts and videos in your feed can shape your opinion over time. People even follow health and financial advice they see online.
Content moderation helps platforms review and remove misleading posts that can affect public health, safety, financial decisions and users’ opinions on sensitive topics. Manually reviewing and removing content is very time-consuming and energy-draining, so many online platforms rely on help from companies like Sutherland. They automate the entire process of filtering content, so that their users end up viewing mostly accurate information. Such content then helps them stay informed and make better decisions.
- Remove Explicit Material
You cannot always control what appears next in your feed, so content moderation is important to prevent exposure to explicit material. Controlling exposure to explicit content is especially important because underage children also use the same social apps as adults. Content moderation enables the prompt review and removal of such content.
- Ensure Users Safety
Sometimes people start campaigning against a famous person, which can put the celebrity or influencer at risk. So, the policy of removing content that supports the narrative of influencing harm and sexual violence on a particular person can be life-saving in such cases.
- Build User Trust
Many people use social media platforms to form connections, so they would naturally choose a platform that provides a safe user experience. If people regularly complain about being harassed or bullied on a platform, not only that specific person, but others will also avoid signing up for it.
On the other hand, if a social media outlet rigorously enforces community guidelines and takes necessary action when someone tries to break the rules, people trust that platform. So content moderation also helps in building user trust and platform credibility.
Final Thoughts
Content moderation seems like a very restrictive approach when viewed through a liberal lens. But it is important because many people use their liberty to express opinions as a means to spread hate and misinformation, and in some cases, inflict violence on vulnerable communities.
So it is a responsibility of social platforms to ensure content moderation to create a safe online space. A space where users can have healthy conversations and overall just enjoy their time reading and viewing various posts and reels, respectively.
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