Digital harassment: Analyzing patterns, impacts, and mitigation strategies in online platforms
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Daeyoung Kim
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 1:00 PM
Description
Digital harassment has evolved into a widespread issue, affecting individuals across social, political, and cultural spectrums. This research investigates the nature, patterns, and impact of harmful online content using a case study of Malaysian influencer Rajeswary Appahu, who tragically lost her life after enduring sustained online abuse. The study utilizes sentiment and network analysis to examine how online harassment spreads across social media platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. Key areas of focus include identifying central actors, co-occurring hashtags, and patterns of coordinated user behavior within abusive networks. The findings highlight how algorithmic amplification and lack of moderation can escalate digital abuse. By combining real-world case evidence with computational analysis, this research emphasizes the urgent need for stronger platform accountability and informed policy interventions to address the human cost of unchecked digital harassment.
Digital harassment: Analyzing patterns, impacts, and mitigation strategies in online platforms
Digital harassment has evolved into a widespread issue, affecting individuals across social, political, and cultural spectrums. This research investigates the nature, patterns, and impact of harmful online content using a case study of Malaysian influencer Rajeswary Appahu, who tragically lost her life after enduring sustained online abuse. The study utilizes sentiment and network analysis to examine how online harassment spreads across social media platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. Key areas of focus include identifying central actors, co-occurring hashtags, and patterns of coordinated user behavior within abusive networks. The findings highlight how algorithmic amplification and lack of moderation can escalate digital abuse. By combining real-world case evidence with computational analysis, this research emphasizes the urgent need for stronger platform accountability and informed policy interventions to address the human cost of unchecked digital harassment.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.