Authors: G Beknazar-Yuzbashev, R Jiménez-Durán, J McCrosky
Year: 2025
Published in: 2025 - econstor.eu
Institution: Mozilla Foundation, Columbia University, Bocconi University, Stanford University, University of Warwick
Research Area: Social Media, User Engagement, Toxicity
Discipline: Social Science
Reducing exposure to toxic content on social media lowers user engagement but also decreases the toxicity of user-generated content, highlighting a trade-off for platforms between reduced toxicity and increased engagement.
Methods: Pre-registered browser extension field experiment on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to randomly hide toxic content for six weeks; supplemented with a survey experiment.
Key Findings: Impact of reduced exposure to toxic content on advertising impressions, time spent, engagement, and user-generated content toxicity; explored curiosity and alignment between engagement and welfare.
Citations: 76
