Why Moderators Can’t Protect Online Communities on Their Own

Online communities often advertise themselves as bringing people together, but many are characterized by toxic behavior, from overt harassment, hate speech, trolling, and doxing to more casual (yet often still quite harmful) comments that belittle and exclude. They include well-known platforms such as Reddit, Discord, and 4chan, along with brand communities like Call of Duty. The data is sobering: According to one recent report, nearly one in three teens have been cyberbullied, and about 15% have perpetuated cyberbullying against others. Other reports have found that that 40% of all internet users have faced some form of online harassment, with one in five women experiencing misogynistic abuse online.