Cyberbullying is a harsh reality for today’s teenagers and can sometimes have devastating results. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can be the battling grounds for hateful comments or other forms of teasing that can be harmful to any youth’s self-esteem. Bullying is said to leave long-lasting, negative impacts on the lives of victims and this is no different for cyberbullying. In some cases, bullying has lead to suicide and other mental crisis. It is clear that bullying should never be tolerated.
Today, leading technology experts are looking for answers to help eliminate cyberbullying and make the internet a less toxic place. In fact, research suggests that artificial intelligence might be a useful tool in the fight against online bullying or “cyberbullying”. For example, enhanced AI can put certain filters to combat hateful speech and other words with negative connotations. The platform Instagram has an algorithm that can detect signs of bullying whether it appears in a photograph, video, caption of an image, or the comment section.
Since many victims are afraid to report the bullying on their own, these tools introduced by the Instagram platform can be a great way to prevent them. While these tools can protect against the main pages of Instagram, there are still potential threats lurking in direct messages and other pathways.
Cyberbullying isn’t the only threat that today’s youth face. Sexual assault is a growing trend that victims need to be prepared to stand up against when necessary. A new artificial intelligent robot called Spot was crafted as a way for the victims of sexual assault to anonymously report the incident. Other chatbots are in the works to be a way for individuals to report sexual assault crimes and automatically contact police or law enforcement if any laws were violated. Victims of sexual assault are claiming these tools gave them the confidence that they needed to have and voice and take action against their harassers.
Artificial intelligence and other programs are working hard to eliminate bullying. While the machines can do a lot of the work, it is still the responsibility of humans to take care of one another and be kind to each other as well.
Note:
Are you in a crisis? Confidential support is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
