The aim of this mind mapping session was to determine what were the required elements that would make my design solution successful. In addition, I wanted to look at existing systems of moderation. After extensive mapping, the following are what were considered to be the key components (and issues) that would lead to a successful solution:
1: Behavioral change: Making bullying an undesirable/'uncool' behavior among young people
Teenagers hate being told what to do. Lecturing them on how to (or how not to) behave on the internet will not constitute a successful solution. Therefore, the core of this campaign is to encourage the teens themselves to moderate against bullying. To do this, bullying must first be established as the ultimate 'no-no' amongst young people. Bullying must become something that is frowned upon amongst peers. Essentially, while watched over from a distance by parents and teachers, this is a campaign that is driven by the young people themselves.
This behavioural change campaign needs to be 'non-preachy' and communicate with young people through a familiar and non-threatening voice. Therefore, the use of social media would be ideal as a vehicle for the message. A clever viral campaign or Facebook app (or a combination) could deliver the message directly to a targeted age group/demograph in a way that could influence behaviour and attitudes.
2: Transparency: Your action has consequences
One of the key differences between online and 'conventional' bullying and cyber bullying is the sense of 'anonymity' of the online environment. People can hide behind false usernames, create multiple accounts and, in general, feel that their actions have no repercussions in the 'real' world. Abusive private messages, emails and text messages can be sent privately to the victim, making it near impossible for parents to detect them until the damage has already been done. In social media, there is little or no transparency.In order to combat cyber bullying, this must change. Online activities must have real world consequences. If bullying is taking place online, then it must be treated with the same level of seriousness as conventional bullying. This could mean offenders being named and shamed, or parents being notified when their child is involved in an online incident. This is discussed in more detail in the next section, Moderation using technology.
3: Moderation using technology
Teens view their Facebook account, mobile phone and email as an extremely personal space where they can interact with their friends. As such, in keeping with the importance of keeping the young people positive about the campaign, the key word here is respect. If a moderation method is introduced, it must be in conjunction with the young person
While brainstorming this, I also looked at the existing online moderation systems for inspiration. Ebay is one that works particularly well because it is moderated by the community itself (through its use of the 'Feedback' system). If you have Negative
Feedback', then no-one will buy anything from you. It is this sort of 'community moderation' that needs to at the core of the solution.
Possible moderation using technology solutions could include:
- Creating a system that links online and offline where unacceptable behaviour online has consequences in the 'real' world. For example, in order to have a Facebook account, an under-18 needs to have real verification from a parent (who would provide contact details). Much like in a school environment, if a child 'misbehaves' and that is flagged by a member of the community, the parents are notified with a copy of the entire thread or comments, messages, etc.
- A system akin to a virus scanner that alerts parents when certain keywords/phrases are triggered on all social media, email and SMS.
- A rating system (manual or automatic) of comments and messages posted.
- Name and shaming offenders on the website.
- Creating a 'black-list' of offenders, banning from them all social media for a certain amount of time.
4: Mentoring and student moderation system: Young people watching out for each other
Creating a 'student monitoring and mentoring system' could be another key component to the campaign. Student could become 'moderators' who would watch their classmates social media for the tell-tale signs of bullying. These positions of moderators should be considered highly desirable and 'cool', and incentives should be offered.
In addition to this, the campaign would promote a general sense of 'young people looking out for each other' through it's promotional mediums.
In summary:
