It comes as no surprise to anyone that internet is an unsafe and toxic place, which can have just as many downsides as it has upsides. Major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have been at the forefront of such issues, mostly because of their role in spreading the toxicity and the inability of the companies to regulate posts on their platforms and policing harmful or sensitive content.
Thankfully, social media companies are making progress in this area in recent times, and this time it is Facebook’s photo-sharing app Instagram which is making it easier for users to control how much sensitive content they see on Instagram’s Explore page.
The new “Sensitive Content Control” setting will, according to Facebook, let users “see more or less of some types of sensitive content,” which may be “upsetting or offensive,” letting them adjust whether they want to see more or fewer posts that some may find unpleasant, such as posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent. In simple words, users have been handed over the reins to control how much sensitive content they will be seeing on Instagram.
“You can think of sensitive content as posts that don’t necessarily break our rules, but could potentially be upsetting to some people – such as posts that may be sexually suggestive or violent,” the Instagram team said. “We recognize that everybody has different preferences for what they want to see in Explore, and this control will give people more choice over what they see,” it added.
The Explore option in Instagram is known for showing posts based on the user’s interests, even posts by people the user does not follow. It is here that posts may contain content that may be not be appreciated by the user. The new “Sensitive Content Control” option will let users keep the default setting (seeing a limited amount of sensitive content) or further reducing the amount of such content they are shown. Users over the age of 18 will also have the option to allow any and all posts deemed sensitive in nature.
This is a difference from the previous recommendation guidelines set by Facebook, which ensured that the platform did not show users sensitive content from accounts they did not follow. Facebook made it clear that this setting is based on the guidelines themselves. It added that content that included graphic violence or nudity would be taken off the site and would not show up even for those who have Sensitive Content Control set to “Allow.” This option is not available for users under 18.
To access this feature, go to your profile and tap the Settings menu in the upper right corner. Tap Account and then tap Sensitive Content Control. Here, you can decide whether to keep the setting at its default state, Limit, or to see more, Allow, or less of some types of sensitive content, Limit Even More. You can change the setting at any time.
Instagram is taking steps to ensure that users can shape their own experience on its platform, rolling out the options to hide likes and turn off comments, or restricting people from interacting with them. This feature is the latest development, and it is hoped that it will not be the last.
