New Media and Technology: Content Moderation

The Laborers Who Keep Dick Pics and Beheadings Out of Your Facebook Feed

I chose this article because it is increasingly relevant as social media sites continue to grow. We all scan our feeds and unconsciously appreciate the tireless work of content moderation teams. I remember a few days where it seemed Facebook had yet to implement such a team, with videos of murder, beheadings, and rape jumping into millions of feeds. The psychological trauma associated with extended time spent viewing such images and videos is dangerous to society. The work of these many brave people help not only to protect the credibility of the companies running social media sites, but also the well-being of humanity. The damage done to these workers, who most of us never consider, is intense and a new development. In the age of increasing globalization, cultural ideas of what is "offensive" will likely come into conflict, and the decisions made by teams such as these will undoubtedly affect the effects of social media on all users.