Empowering Product Teams to Advance Inclusive Language and Mitigate Hateful Speech on Social Media Products

Abstract

As social media use proliferates, so does hateful language on such platforms among users. How might product teams be empowered to tackle hateful speech and promote inclusive language proactively among users? We developed an intervention that targets the organizational culture of tech companies and their product teams as a driver for change. More specifically, the intervention aimed to advance inclusive language practices within product teams, while introducing product development frameworks for advancing inclusive language and mitigating hateful language among social media product users. For this study, we partnered with a large U.S.-headquartered tech firm that owns several social media products to develop and pilot the intervention. The intervention was implemented with 238 participants—representing employees of the firm across several global locations, with particular representation from the United States—in seven workshops. Forty participants were tracked semilongitudinally across three surveys—prior to the intervention, immediately after, and 4 months after. Two participants participated in in-depth interviews 6 months after the intervention. Survey data were submitted to ordinal regression models that examined difference in workshop attendees’ confidence levels across the three time periods. Findings reveal positive impacts over time among product teams in regard to enhanced agency in advancing inclusive language and mitigating hateful speech among users. More specifically, confidence levels to guide one’s team in preventing or mitigating harmful language among product users significantly increased by 13.6% ( p < .0001) from before the intervention to both postworkshop surveys. Confidence levels to guide one’s team in enhancing inclusive language among users significantly increased by 18.1% ( p < .0001) pre- to postworkshop. Positive correlations are present between the measures. Lastly, qualitative responses in the surveys and interviews express appreciation of learning gained in the workshops, but also the need to continue such interventions as an effort to maintain critical understandings of inclusive language practices.