Toxic content and user engagement on social media: Evidence from a field experiment

Authors: G Beknazar-Yuzbashev, R Jiménez-Durán, J McCrosky

Published: 2025

Publication: 2025 - econstor.eu

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.

Limitations: Null

Institution: Mozilla Foundation, Columbia University, Bocconi University, Stanford University, University of Warwick

Research Area: Social Media, User Engagement,Toxicity

Discipline: Social Science

Citations: 76