Instagram now asks bullies: 'Are

you sure?'

Instagram believes its new anti-bullying tool, which prompts users to pause
and consider what they are saying, could help curb abuse on the platform.
It will also soon offer the targets of bullying the ability to restrict interactions
with users who are causing them distress.
Instagram has been under pressure to deal with its bullying problem after high
profile cases, including the suicide of British teenager Molly Russell.
In a blog post, the firm’s chief executive Adam Mosseri said his firm “could do
more” on the issue.
"We can do more to prevent bullying from happening on Instagram, and we can
do more to empower the targets of bullying to stand up for themselves,” Mr
Mosseri wrote.
"These tools are grounded in a deep understanding of how people bully each
other and how they respond to bullying on Instagram, but they’re only two steps
on a longer path.”

‘Rethink’
Instagram said it was using artificial intelligence to recognise when text
resembles the kind of posts that are most often reported as inappropriate by
users.
In one example, a person types “you are so ugly and stupid”, only to be
interrupted with a notice saying: “Are you sure you want to post this? Learn
more”.
If the user taps “learn more”, a notice informs: “We are asking people to rethink
comments that seem similar to others that have been reported.”

The user can ignore the message and post anyway, but Instagram said in early
tests that "we have found that it encourages some people to undo their comment
and share something less hurtful once they have had a chance to reflect.”
The tool is being rolled out to English-speaking users at first, with plans to
eventually make it available globally, Instagram told the BBC.

Restricted
The company said it will soon roll out an additional tool, called Restrict,
designed to help teens filter abusive comments without resorting to blocking
others - a blunt move that could have repercussions in the real world.
"We’ve heard from young people in our community that they’re reluctant to
block, unfollow, or report their bully because it could escalate the situation,
especially if they interact with their bully in real life,” Mr Mosseri said.
"Some of these actions also make it difficult for a target to keep track of their
bully’s behaviour.”
Once a user has been restricted, their comments will appear only to themselves.
Crucially, a restricted person will not know they have been restricted.
"You can choose to make a restricted person’s comments visible to others by
approving their comments,” Mr Mosseri explained.
"Restricted people won’t be able to see when you’re active on Instagram or
when you’ve read their direct messages.”

“It’s really encouraging to see that the new feature has been rolled out,” said
Alex Holmes, deputy chief executive of the Anti-Bullying Committee, and a
long-time anti-bullying advocate.
The group has received some funding from Facebook for real-world anti-
bullying initiatives in schools. Mr Holmes told the BBC he felt social media
firms could still do more to actively teach users about decent behaviour.
"If you are under 18, you should have to go through awareness building when
you sign up,” he said.
"I think it would be a pretty simple thing, for the first five minutes, to go
through. Platforms should be able to make the issue of safety more appealing,
more engaging."
1) What is Instagram's new anti-bullying tool, and how does it work?

2) How might the new tool that prompts users to reconsider their comments
help prevent cyberbullying?

3) What potential benefits do you see in the "Restrict" tool for filtering
abusive comments?

4) Why do you think some young people might be reluctant to block,

unfollow, or report their bullies on social media?

5) Do you think these new features will effectively address cyberbullying on

Instagram? Why or why not?

6) What additional steps could social media platforms like Instagram take to
combat cyberbullying?