# These 2 New Instagram Features are Taking on Cyberbullying

- Link: https://chatterblast.com/blog/these-2-new-instagram-features-are-taking-on-cyberbullying/
- Published: 2019-07-12T13:22:34-04:00
- Author: Kyle Krajewski

America has a cyberbullying problem. And for teens in particular, most cyberbullying
is happening on Instagram. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Here are a few key
statistics to illustrate that fact:

 * A 2018 [study by the Pew Research Center ](https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/pi_2018-05-31_teenstech_0-01/)
   found that **_72 percent of teens_** use Instagram.
 * [Another study](https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/09/27/a-majority-of-teens-have-experienced-some-form-of-cyberbullying/)
   found that **_59% of teens_** have experienced some form of harassment or bullying
   online. So the majority.
 * In 2017, Ditch The Label [reported](https://www.ditchthelabel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-Annual-Bullying-Survey-2017-1.pdf)
   that cyberbullying is most common on Instagram (**42%**), followed by Facebook(
   37%) then Snapchat (31%).

Over the past couple of years, Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, have 
been under serious pressure to get their act together. Facebook mostly for the fake
news, extremist content, and data sharing. Instagram for cyberbullying.

There’s no simple solution to the latter. But in a [blog post](https://instagram-press.com/blog/2019/07/08/our-commitment-to-lead-the-fight-against-online-bullying/)
earlier this week, Head of Instagram **Adam Mosseri** expressed his desire to “_do
more to prevent bullying from happening on Instagram_.” And with that, he announced
a couple of new features that are “_only two steps on a longer path._”

Here’s what you need to know:

## **Feature 1: Rethink**

The first new feature is powered by artificial intelligence that detects potentially
harmful or insensitive comments as they are being posted. When a comment is flagged,
the user will be hit with the message below, which essentially asks potential bullies:“
_are you sure you want to go down this road?_”

[[

###### _Screenshots: Instagram_

The idea here is that, with an essentially mandatory moment of intervention and 
reflection before posting, users will opt not to post the comment.

Mosseri reports: “_From early tests of this feature, 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_.”

## **Feature 2: Restrict**

The second new feature announced this week is more optional than the first. The 
gist of it is this: Teens can be reluctant to report, block, or unfollow a bully
out of fear of escalation. These seemingly simple digital options may lead to worse
bullying IRL.

So how do you limit a bully’s ability to harass or impose generally toxic behavior
on a user’s page without being so obvious? That’s the idea behind this _Restrict_
feature.

[[

###### _Screenshots: Instagram_

_Restrict_ aims to limit these interactions at the will of the recipient. Once restricted,
comments on a user’s posts from a restricted user will only be visible to that restricted
user. A user can, however, choose to make a restricted person’s comments visible
to others by opting to approve those comments. Additionally, restricted users won’t
be able to see when a user is active or when they’ve read their direct messages.

Mosseri concluded his blog post with “_it’s our responsibility to create a safe 
environment on Instagram.”_ He added that he looks forward to sharing more updates
soon.