Internet has gathered people from around the world together, allowing them all to communicate through various platforms.
The good thing about this is that, the internet will never run out of contents. Countless of new information are uploaded to the internet, and users of social media networks are among the first on the web and mobile to see and experience them.
The bad thing however, lots of internet users aren't that "civilized".
And TikTok, the popular social media from ByteDance, is one of the few that harbors more than plenty of trolls and cyberbullies.
Following the launch of its Q&A format for creators to respond to their viewers' questions, TikTok is making some precaution to deal with cyberbullies that may attack content creators on its platform.
This time, the social media launches an updated commenting features, which allows creators to filter which comments can be posted on their content, before those comments go live.
Using the feature, creators who enable the 'Filter All Comments' can choose which comments can appear on their videos.
This feature is like a filter to screen what should be shown to the public, before they are made public. This feature builds on TikTok’s existing comment controls, which allow creators to filter spam and other offensive comments or filter by keywords, a feature that is pretty similar to other social apps like Instagram.
The advantage of this, is giving creators a bit of a peace of mind, knowing that no comments can go public without them noticing.
The 'Filter All Comments' simply blocks all comments, and won't make them live unless the creators approved them.
This gives creators full control over their presence on the platform and could prevent bullying and abuse.
The disadvantage of this, is that it requires creators to go through each comment individually.
This can be choir if the creators have received lots of comments, for example.
Another disadvantage is that, it could make creators to get away with spreading false information, or making it seem like they’re more well-liked than they actually are.
This can be an issue, since an increasing number of brands are eyeing on TikTok creators with tons of followers to help them in promoting their products/services.
Another addition, is aimed at users who are commenting, by popping up a box that prompts them to reconsider posting a comment that may be inappropriate.
According to TikTok on its announcement post, the goal of these features is to maintain a safe and supportive environment, where people can communicate more positively.
In other words, TikTok wants users to focus on being creative and finding community, rather than being cyberbullies and harassers.
The features simply provide users a time to re-think what they are going to say, instead of letting them be impulsive.
The features will slow people down, preventing them to react faster than they think.
Besides this, TikTok also said that it is consulting with industry partners to develop its new policies and features, adding that it has partnered with the Cyberbullying Research Center (CRC), which develops research around cyberbullying and online abuse and misuse. T