When it comes to online harassment, it seems like Twitter has gotten a pretty bad rep, thus forcing the company to step up their efforts in protecting their users from trolls and cyberbullies with various privacy and blocking tools. However it seems that while Twitter is getting the brunt of the bad rep, Instagram could actually have a problem of its own.
According to British anti-bullying organization Ditch The Label, their new annual survey has found (via TechCrunch) that platforms such as Instagram are actually the platform of choice for cyberbullies, or at least based on data collected from participants aged 12-20 years in age. According to the survey, 42% reported to having been bullied on Instagram, followed by 37% on Facebook (who owns Instagram), and 31% on Snapchat.
The survey also found that 70% of participants believe that digital platforms aren’t doing enough to prevent cyberbullying. To be fair, Instagram has been trying to do their part in curbing online abuse. Last year the company introduced options for users to turn off comments on posts, and just last month they also introduced a new AI filter that helps to block offensive comments.
That being said, perhaps the result of this survey could motivate Instagram to step up their efforts when it comes to protecting their users from online harassment, trolls, and cyberbullies, especially if they’re hoping for the platform to be a place for users to spend their time on socially and for commerce purposes.
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