Since the beginning of the Internet, a few particular questions regarding the dangers of social media have remained a persistent topic: Is social media on the Internet harmful toward the mental or physical health of teenagers? Will teens be influenced negatively by inappropriate topics and celebrities online? Will the future generation cause the downfall of the world as we know it because of the negative effects of social media? On May 1, the influential social media platform, Instagram, said it was expanding its online anti-bullying initiative, adding a new filter to weed out comments meant to harass or bully the 800 million users of the popular social media site.

The company reported that accounts that have a large number of offensive comments would be filtered out. Furthermore, accounts that violate Instagram’s terms and conditions and community guidelines will be banned or disabled. In addition, the new filter will also hide comments attacking an individual’s appearance/character and alert Instagram to repeat offenders. This is already the second attempt to limit offensive comments and get rid of disrespectful members.

Through a blog post, Kevin Systrom, the chief executive, and co-founder told Instagram users “To be clear, we don’t tolerate bullying.” Young figures in the spotlight will also be protected from hate-filled messages by expanded policies. “Protecting our youngest [celebrities] is crucial to helping them feel comfortable to express who they are and what they care about,” he added.

According to a 2017 study conducted by Ditch the Label (an online anti-bullying organization), Instagram had 42% of more than 10,000 people aged 12 to 20 years old experience cyberbullying in the previous year. Also, Instagram will be using a machine-learning algorithm to detect offenders. Using artificial intelligence, it will review words for context or meaning. Hopefully, these new policies and this technology will help to reassure concerned parents and professionals.