There’s this Radiolab podcast that featured Filipinos working for Facebook as censors. The podcast delved into what many consider an over-reach on Facebook’s part in suppressing content. But my fascination was on the Filipino content moderators. Who would have thought that pornographic and violent posts are purged from Facebook’s platform in Manila of all places?
A former colleague’s wife used to be a content moderator. According to him, for weeks his wife had countless sleepless nights, and even a time she avoided red meat or anything with blood. You are reviewing the most horrific posts in the world. That’s 8 hours a day. 5000 posts per shift. That’s no walk in the park.
In NPR’s podcast, one employee recalls the trauma of having to watch “people’s head explode.” He said it’s “classic PTSD” and he could be right.
