Instagram tackles bullying with new feature

Instagram has launched an anti-bullying feature on their platform after recently coming under fire for ‘not doing enough’ to tackle the issue.

Instagram is inviting users to think twice before posting derogatory comments with their new AI tool designed to identify and curb bullying once and for all on their platform.

The new AI feature will attempt to root out negative comments before they’re published. If a previously flagged word is recognised by the tech, a failsafe message will appear and ask the user ‘are you sure you want to post this?’ before it’s uploaded underneath the tile.

This doesn’t physically deter people from posting harmful comments, and particularly cold bullies will continue their hateful tirades, but it will provide the opportunity to ‘undo’ the hurtful messages before uploading. Occasionally it be fun to poke fun, granted, but there’s a limit. Besides, it’s always nice to be nice.

Instagram are more concerned with amending the behaviour of bullies long term and putting up a physical barrier will only mean they’ll pursue and find other ways of spreading hate. Instead this method attempts to make the user reflect on their own behaviour by pricking at their conscience… a far more effective and less superficial way of tackling the issue altogether (providing they actually have one ofc, they’re a pretty rare breed).

We must also remember there’s a significant chance that a victim of bullying will fail to report an incident through fear of further provoking the antagonist, so this method could be an efficient way of spotting issues directly at the source.