Supporting fair discussion of social importance

Jun 8, 2020 • 2 min read

Mark Argyle

Now that society has reached a boiling point and a groundswell of grief, fear, galvanization and frustration has permeated our communities, people want — no, need — to be able to hold discourse with one another openly and freely. But unfortunately, with deep discussion often comes unwarranted criticism, in the form of trolls, hate speech, and vitriol.

When it comes to cyberbullying, in fact, 53% of US adults have personally experienced online harassment, and 37% have experienced it to a severe extent, based on a survey including a significant representation of African-American, Jewish, Muslim, Asian-American and LGBTQ+ individuals.¹

Everybody has the right to safe spaces for crucial discussion, important information, support and resources. A place where they feel at home and can constructively express their thoughts on Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ rights, and other socially critical movements … all year long, all the time.

We should all be able to connect with our communities and allies.

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We should be able to form genuine human bonds, and give to and receive support from the vastly growing organizations aimed at truly affecting change, including the increasing number of nonprofits for marginalized groups.

So, to nurture progress, what is a small way your brand can lend to the security of safe spaces while contributing to society as a whole?

Safety features in in-app messaging solutions remove the fear and frustration of a toxic community. Users may be partaking in live open group chats on issues they feel strongly about or believe firmly in. Or they may want to turn to an authority figure or representative in a live group chat for advice on how to proceed or cope. Or perhaps they choose to talk to somebody one-on-one in real-time for help or understanding. In any of these situations, they need to feel safe being themselves, opening their hearts, and speaking their minds. (Read more about in-app messaging safety tools here.)

Automatic and manual moderation tools including channel freezing and user muting, banning, and deactivation; profanity filters; and spam flood protection are ways you can protect your visitors while they share concerns, organize events, and support one another. By enabling them to engage meaningfully through a positive experience, you can bridge the divide to make a real difference.

See how to open up critical conversation with Sendbird, here. Let’s make safe conversations the standard.