As the father of two teenage girls, monitoring what my kids see on social media is a constant worry. I know firsthand how much inappropriate content gets shared on Facebook daily. My daughters have been inadvertently exposed to alarming posts ranging from pornography to gory violence and hateful rhetoric. I want to protect their innocence and mental health during these critical developmental years.
That‘s why I decided to dig deep into the issue of adult content on Facebook. As a tech expert and concerned dad, I researched all the tools Facebook provides to curb this problem. In this comprehensive guide, I will explain how you can gain more control over the 18+ material you and your family encounter on Facebook.
The Types of Sensitive Content Lurking on Facebook
Let‘s start by examining the varieties of mature content that users may come across on Facebook:
Nudity and Pornography
This category includes overtly sexual images, videos and livestreams showingExplicit pornography violates Facebook‘s rules, but some nudity slips through as long as genitals are covered. Even topless photos can remain if not considered sexually explicit. Problematic pages like "Hot Moms" or "The Best Twerks" may feature revealing photos that don‘t technically break the rules.
Violence and Gore
Facebook prohibits gory images shared for sadistic pleasure, but allows some violent content deemed newsworthy. So gruesome war scenes, shooting footage or bloody accidents often stay up. Videos of actual physical harm get reported millions of times. For example, the livestreamed video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque killings was viewed over 4000 times before being taken down.
Hate Speech andSymbols
Despite Facebook banning attacks based on race, gender, sexuality and other traits, users still encounter racist, sexist and homophobic rants. Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have also spread Holocaust denialism and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Harassment and Bullying
Online harassment on Facebook can take many forms – insulting wall posts, threatening messages, distributing embarrassing photos, impersonation accounts, stalking and more. Teens face high rates of cyberbullying.
Misinformation
Health misinformation, election conspiracy theories, and other dangerous falsehoods spread rapidly on Facebook. This content fuels skepticism of science, medicine and institutions.
Sex Trafficking and Predation
Facebook has been misused by human traffickers to recruit victims and predators to groom minors. Child sexual abuse imagery also circulates. A 2020 survey found 56% of girls ages 15-19 deal with inappropriate sexual solicitations online.
This overview illustrates the diverse types of unsettling content floating around Facebook that families want to avoid.
How Much Sensitive Material is Really on Facebook?
But how widespread is this problem? Let‘s examine some key statistics:
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| Study | Key Findings |
|---|---|
| Child Rescue Coalition, 2020 | Found over 4.1 million instances of child sex abuse material on Facebook over 10 weeks. 92.1% of activity went unreported by Facebook‘s detection tools. |
| Anti-Defamation League, 2020 | Identified over 14 million comments on 330,000 Facebook posts that contained anti-Semitic language between January and October 2020. |
| Consumer Reports, 2020 | 61% of Facebook and Instagram users ages 18-34 encountered offensive content related to hate, racism, homophobia or sex in the previous 30 days. |
| Pew Research Center, 2021 | 59% of U.S. adults believe social media companies should be responsible for identifying and removing offensive content on their platforms. |
This data reveals both the volume of unsettling content circulating on Facebook as well as users‘ concerns about it. Families have valid reasons to be apprehensive.
How Facebook Flags and Removes Violations
Facebook utilizes a mix of AI tools, human reviewers and user reports to find and eliminate harmful posts.
The company‘s automated detection software scans for policy breaches like nudity, gore, and solicitation. Facebook claims this AI can proactively detect 88.8% of graphic violence before anyone reports it.
However, AI has limitations. Machines cannot fully grasp context and nuance. So Facebook employs over 15,000 content reviewers around the world to assess reported posts. Reviewers examine factors like intent to determine if content violates standards or warrants removal.
According to Facebook, "Reviewers are trained using hypothetical scenarios developed by our policy development teams. To ensure reviewer accuracy, auditors continuously sample their work and provide feedback to them."
Users also play a crucial role by flagging concerning content through Facebook‘s reporting system. Millions of reports are submitted daily.
But objections around inconsistent enforcement remain. Critics argue Facebook under-polices certain content like hate speech while over-censoring things like female nudity. The balancing act between allowing free expression while restricting harmful material spurs continual debate.
Adjust Your Facebook Feed Filters
Rather than wait for Facebook to catch violations, you can proactively curate your feed using built-in preferences.
Go to Settings > Privacy and Safety > Content You See. Under the Safety section, toggle the Display media that may contain sensitive content setting. This enables stricter filters designed to catch nudity, gore and other graphic material. Turning this safety feature on is your first line of defense.
Expand the Show More Options menu to fine-tune filters for specific categories:
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| Content Type | Filter Options |
|---|---|
| Sex and Nudity | Default, Less, No Filter |
| Violence and Graphic Content | Default, Less, No Filter |
| Hate Speech and Symbols | Default, Less, No Filter |
| Drug Use | Default, Less, No Filter |
I recommend the "Less" filter option for all categories if you have kids on your account. This helps block more sensitive posts from their feeds.
Apply Filters Beyond Just Your News Feed
In addition to your main feed, be sure to adjust filters in these sections:
- Groups: Edit Group preferences to limit sensitive posts.
- Watch: Toggle "Show Sensitive Content" off in Watch settings.
- Search: Enable "Hide Sensitive Content" in Search filters.
- Marketplace: Toggle "Show Alcohol, Guns and Other Regulated Goods" off.
- Ads: Click "…" on an inappropriate ad and select "Stop Seeing This Ad"
Taking a few minutes to update these filters makes the entire Facebook experience more family-friendly.
Leverage Restricted Lists and Blocking
You can also place limitations around specific users.
Add friends prone to oversharing questionable content to your Restricted List. This allows you to remain Facebook friends while choosing what they can view.
Totally Block profiles repeatedly posting distasteful content. Pages can be unfollowed as well. Taking out the trash this way declutters your feed.
Be Diligent in Reporting Policy Violations
Even with filters in place, inappropriate posts will still get through. When you spot violations, report them:
- Click the three dots above a post
- Choose "Report Post"
- Select the relevant option like nudity, hate speech, etc.
- Add any extra context to explain the violation
- Submit your report
The more harmful content gets reported, the quicker Facebook can review and remove it. So reporting is critical.
Facebook‘s Controversial "Oversight Board"
As Facebook faces heat for its content decisions, it created an "Oversight Board" to provide policy guidance and weigh in on disputes.
The 40-person international panel consists of human rights advocates, lawyers, journalists and other experts. They make binding rulings on whether specific content takedowns were warranted.
The Board has overturned several of Facebook‘s decisions:
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| Case | Original Takedown | Oversight Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Man in India criticizing Islam | Removed for violating hate speech rules | Overturned takedown. Post deemed not to cross hate speech threshold. |
| Breast cancer awareness meme | Removed for nudity (showing breast) | Overturned takedown. Image deemed permissible given health context. |
| Myanmar user criticizing government | Removed for incitement of violence during volatile period | Overturned takedown. Post not seen as dangerous enough to warrant removal. |
Critics argue the Board is biased and lacks real enforcement power. But it does provide some oversight around Facebook‘s most disputed decisions.
Do More to Protect Your Kids
As a parent, extra tools exist to shield your children:
- Messenger Kids: A version of Messenger for under 13s with parental controls.
- Supervised Accounts: Let you restrict teens‘ activity and access.
- Family Center: Provides oversight on time limits, content filtering and more for your household.
- Report Underage Users: You can report profiles belonging to kids under 13 to get them removed.
Utilizing these family features helps prevent exposure to adult content kids are unprepared for. Be proactive.
What Experts Say About Social Media and Mental Health
Concerns around social media affecting mental health, especially for younger users, are understandable.
According to child psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens:
"Time spent passively scrolling correlates with higher anxiety and depression. But active engagement can have positive effects for some individuals."
Stanford researcher Dr. Natalia Bielczyk notes:
"Adolescent social media use seems to confer both costs and benefits. The extent of these costs and benefits seem contingent on usage patterns – both amount and kind."
Based on my research, the impact depends on the individual child plus the type of online interactions they have. Having some oversight can help promote more positive experiences.
Harassment and Stalking – When to Get Law Enforcement Involved
For serious cases of cyberbullying, stalking, threats and predatory behavior, legal action may become necessary as a last resort.
Document evidence and file a report with Facebook. If the behavior rises to a criminal level, contact police as well – they can request records. Facebook does have guidelines in place for assisting law enforcement investigations when warranted.
No one should have to tolerate persistent abuse or sexual harassment online. Support groups like Cyber Civil Rights Initiative also provide help for victims.
Closing Thoughts
The sheer volume of images, videos, posts and comments shared by billions of people ensures Facebook will never be free of problematic content. But implementing the right privacy settings, content filters and reporting habits can dramatically improve your family‘s experience. When used responsibly, Facebook can help build community. Just be diligent about protecting more sensitive members of your household. I hope all parents reading this feel empowered to take control and curb unwanted exposure to mature material. Please reach out if you need any help or emotional support. We can make social media a more positive space.
