We’re getting to the point where comparing the cultural impact of social media and the telephone isn’t really hyperbolic anymore, and it’s bringing a unique set of problems.
Anybody with MySpace and a dial-up connection could tell you that for every in advancement in the speed and reach of digital communication, there is an equal rise in the number of deadshits who absolutely live for ragging on your online presence.
So, in light of the hordes of keyboard warriors who haven’t quite worked out how not to be garbage humans on social media, Instagram have revealed they’ll be rolling out comment filtering for all users.
The Washington Post reports that users will be able to target select words or phrases they don’t want to pop up in their comments. Any references to those phrases will be summarily shot into the sun.
Furthermore, users will also be given the opportunity to mute comments entirely, if they don’t rly want to hear the opinions of the internet’s teeming masses.
As it stands, some big-shot ‘Grammers have been roadtesting the feature before it becomes publically available. That might seem a lil’ shifty, until you see the torrents of textual filth many of those heavy hitters wade through on a daily basis.
Instagram’s head of public policy Jackson Colaco says their goal is to make a “friendly, fun and, most importantly, safe place for self expression” while giving users the option to “moderate their comment experience.”
It’s a bold move, and it’s a far cry from other platforms that require you either search and delete each comment individually or lodge a community complaint. It’ll all be in your hands. Literally.
Expect the tools to go live sometime in the next couple of months.
