#onlineharm

Have you ever read a hateful comment on social media and thought: How is this still up? Like… a person literally wrote that. And no one, human or machine, stepped in?

It’s 2025 and somehow, we still think algorithms can police human emotion, nuance, and intent. But the truth is, as platforms keep automating moderation with cold, rigid systems, more people are getting hurt. “Freedom of speech” is being twisted into a free pass to be cruel. And the worst part? No one’s really accountable.

Right now, AI handles most of the content moderation, scanning for keywords, banning posts, and flagging violations. But words aren’t just data. They carry tone, culture, and emotion. That’s something no bot fully understands.

That’s why I believe that legal experts and psychologists should take the wheel. These aren’t just trolls anymore, we’re talking about people weaponising words, gaslighting strangers, or exploiting trauma in viral comment threads. Jayanti (2023) makes a strong case: it’s time for clear industry standards with interdisciplinary leadership. We need people who understand harm, not just code.

Venkatesh et al. (2021) explain that current governance models copy the logic of law enforcement, with punishments, bans, and account removal. But they ignore the human side: restorative justice, emotional repair, and community health. Why are we okay with deleting a comment but not helping the person who was hurt by it?

And let’s be honest: the system is broken. Rochefort (2023) calls it an “anemic” regime, fragmented, politicised, and completely lacking cohesion. Even governments can’t agree on how to define or deal with this mess. Every platform has its own rules, and none of them seem to be working.

So… what if the solution isn’t more AI, but more empathy? More listening. More collaboration between tech, law, psychology, and education. The internet is real life now, and we need real people guiding its rules.

✨Just a thought: algorithms can detect keywords, but only humans can truly understand impact. Maybe governance should start there. ⚖️

References:

Jayanti, A. (2023, April 13). To break the standstill of social media governance, we need industry standards. The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/break-standstill-social-media-governance-we-need-industry-standards

Rochefort, A. (2023). SOCIAL MEDIA GOVERNANCE VIA AN “ANEMIC” POLICY REGIME? HOW BOUNDARY SPANNING, COMPETING ISSUE DEFINITIONS, LACK OF COHESION, AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAGMENTATION IMPEDE REGULATORY REFORM. AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2023i0.13486

Once again, today’s topic is not directly related to the health sector... even if government’s willingness to combat harmful content online contributes to the protection of internet user’s mental health !