Revealing Pornography under User Friendly #Hashtags

On Instagram, the popular photo based social media networking app, open to users 13 years or older, erroneous hashtags such as “#food” and “#weed” are being flooded with hidden pornography. Increasing numbers of children and young adults are reporting incidents of pornographic images and other unwanted materials.

Instagram shares their guidelines on its Help Center page:

“Instagram has Community Guidelines that define what's allowed in order to keep Instagram an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression. If we're made aware of a post that goes against our Community Guidelines, we'll remove it from Instagram.While some posts on Instagram may not go against our Community Guidelines, they might not be appropriate for our global community, and we'll limit those types of posts from being recommended on Explore and hashtag pages. For example, a sexually suggestive post will still appear in feed if you follow the account that posts it, but this type of content may not appear for the broader community in Explore and hashtag pages.”

Even with these strict guidelines’ internet trolls find ways to insert inappropriate material. The app is used worldwide, attracting all ages, even users under the age of 13. If parents were to see what type of content their children are viewing on Instagram, red flags would be raised. Delaware State University’s Program Coordinator and Advisor Tiffany Alexander worries about her eight-year-old God Daughters’ social media safety. Tiffany’s God Daughter media and internet usage is limited and monitored by her guardians. As Tiffany’s God Daughter is a Black female, she is highly concerned provocative social media images will permit the young child to post similar photos.

“It’s going to be a horrible effect because they [preteens] will be tracing perfection and that’s not real. Most of what people post online is the ten percent of their life going well…Their going to think everyone’s life is perfect and mine is not and just keep comparing themselves with ‘keeping up with the Jones’s.’ She’ll feel the need to fit in and have her life be perfect and that’s not real.”

Tiffany also shared her opinion about the obscene photos under the secret hashtag that were brought to her attention.

“It’s intentional of course when they portray something in the media like cigarettes, nicotine, the vaping, you know they’re going to put it on a beautiful light skin woman that’s half dressed because “oh that’s cool.” I can be like this type of women, if I’m doing this or women that are pretty are doing this, I should do this too. It’s done with intention and as long as people can identify with that image they can sell. Users under the age of 13 think that’s normalcy, they think that’s cute. So when they grow up they start to make those types of decisions based on what they grew up seeing.”

Instagram is not the only social media site where explicit content may appear. Facebook has been implicated in displaying sexual content and violence. December 24, 2018 a video streamed live in Macon, Georgia showing a girl being shot on Facebook Live. There have been other reports of rape and domestic violence that have streamed live on Facebook.

Several students I spoke with at Delaware State University told me, while the app does its best to dispel explicit hashtags and material, it is terrifying to think that an app used by kids is being compromised.

Three pictures from the hashtags were displayed to students while asking for their opinions on the topic.

Marcus Smith a former student at Delaware State University said,

“#Weed and #Food makes these teenagers or millennials if you will seem like they have to keep up with the ‘Joneses’. I see everybody who I admire, whose getting all this clout on social media. If their doing it I have to do it and if I’m not doing it, then I almost feel as if I’m less than.”

Senior Taylor Billinger added,

“Based on the photos and hashtags from Instagram, kind of open my eyes and in reality, it’s really sad the way our generation is influenced by Instagram so heavily. It’s nothing but negativity on there. The fact that we see photos on there about porn, sex, [and] weed it’s crazy how it’s all intertwined as well. Why is porn and weed together? It does not make since to me and honestly Instagram does have a negative impact on the younger generation.” Other young adults mentioned that teenagers are unaware how social media can affect their career.

Junior Chris Giles mentioned,

“When employers are looking at you and doing background checks, they may not know you, but that perception of those pictures can definitely have a negative effect on you getting that job or not, for your career.”

To eliminate inappropriate material, monitor your children’s social media activity and utilize parental guidelines. If you come across questionable content that is deemed to be inappropriate for all age groups, the app has a “Report” option and when pressed the offending material will be quickly removed.