Analyzing 'Blocking' Mechanisms on Social Media

Faculty: 
Eric Gilbert, Amy Bruckman
Students: 
Shagun Jhaver

In this project, we analyze blocking mechanisms on social media. We perform a comparative analysis of different technologies and socially curated block-lists on Twitter. We also conduct interviews with users who are on such block-lists as well as those who subscribe to them. Our analysis reveals nuances of online harassment and the tactics used by harassers. We discuss the limitations of state of the art moderation used by social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc. We examine how the harassment victims appropriate the online tools and resources available to them to cope with online abuse. We also suggest design implications for improved blocking mechanisms.

Lab: 
Director: 
Eric Gilbert

The comp.social lab focuses on the design and analysis of social media. According to their website they "like puppies, mixed methods and new students (particularly MS)."