Instagram, one of the first platforms that comes to mind when it comes to social media, has a user base from almost every age group. Social media bullying, which has become one of today’s problems, was stated to be one of the platform’s priority issues. However, it seems that the reality is different.
Former Meta employee: “I told my daughter about being harassed on Instagram, the Meta CEO ignored it.”
The bullying of young people on social media has been one of the most important issues of recent times. Since then, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta have taken many measures on the platform. Arturo Béjar, a social media bullying prevention expert who has taken many steps for the company in this area, shared his interesting experience.
Béjar, who worked as an engineering director at Facebook between 2009 and 2015, revealed a moment between him and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Accordingly, Béjar told the Meta CEO about the harassment bullying his daughter experienced on Instagram. However, he said his concerns and warnings were ignored. Here is what the former Meta employee said:
She and her friends started having terrible experiences, including repeated unwanted sexual advances and harassment. She reported these incidents to the company and the company did nothing. This means that this person will continue to go to other profiles and spread misogyny. I don’t think reporting or doing more content review is the solution.
This speech was given at a congressional hearing about the harm Facebook and Instagram are doing to children. The former Meta employee said that Zuckerberg and his team supposedly took some measures, but they were not a deterrent. In addition, he said that the team knew about the harms caused by Instagram but chose not to make the changes that would have prevented them.
What do you think about this issue? What do you think should be done about social media bullying? Please share your views with us in the comments section.