YouTube is filled with people from diverse backgrounds coming together and sharing their perspectives. Many people can overwhelm you with their love and positivity, however, there are a handful who also use YouTube to vent their frustrations. It is all the more easy for people to hide under an anonymous name and lash out on the online world. It can be hard for both seasoned YouTubers as well as creators who are just starting out, to handle these negative comments.
When you receive hateful comments, there are six ways you can handle this uncomfortable situation.
1. Delete the comment
If you think that the comment cannot be resolved, you can easily delete it. Click on the three dots next to the comment and select “remove” from the drown down menu. Deleting a comment will delete the entire thread along with all the replies to the comment.
2. Flag the comment
When someone has overstepped their boundaries and violated the community guidelines, you can flag the content. YouTube lets you categorise the comment as hate speech or graphic violence, harassment or bullying, pornography or sexually explicit material and more.
When a comment is flagged, YouTube’s powerful machine learning sends it for human review. YouTube’s Policy and Enforcement team will then preview the comment and remove it if it doesn’t adhere to the YouTube Community Guidelines. According to YouTube, a flagged comment can remain only if it falls under these categories: educational, documentary, scientific and artistic.
3. Block viewers
If a specific viewer repeatedly spams your videos with unrelated content, or constantly throws hateful comments, just block them so that they cannot view or comment on your videos further. These viewers will not be alerted when you block them.
You can block a user the same way you delete a comment. Click on the three dots next to the comment and select “hide user from channel” from the drown down menu.
4. Use a blocked word list
If you want to filter out inappropriate keywords from your comments sections, make a list of these words. Now add these words to your blocked word list. When someone’s comments using these keywords, YouTube will first send you the comment for moderation before it appears publicly.
To set a blocked word list, go to creator studio < select the “settings” tab from the left hand menu < select “community” < automated filters < blocked words.
5. Select defaults
At the channel level, you can set a default method to handle comments for all your videos collectively. Go to creator studio < select the “settings” tab from the left hand menu < select “upload defaults” < advanced settings < click on the dropdown menu in the “comments” sections and choose your options:
- Allow all comments: All comments will appear on your channel without restrictions.
- Hold potentially inappropriate comments for review: This is the most viable options for YouTubers with a large following. YouTube’ will automatically detect inappropriate keywords in your comment section and hold them for review.
- Hold all comments for review: you have to manually review all your comments before they appear on your video. You can pick this option if you have a small channel with limited comments.
- Disable comments: You can disable viewers from commenting on your videos. This option will come in handy if you’re handling a sensitive or controversial topic.
6. Add a moderator
If the negative comments get out of hand, you can always get an extra set of hands to help you out. Add a friend, community member or one of your team members to flag comments for removal. Once a comment is flagged, it will appear on your public feed again only after you review the comment on your “held for review” section. To review your comments, go to creator studio < select the “comments” tab from the left hand menu < select “held for review”.
Just remember that almost every YouTuber gets trolled. It’s not your fault and you shouldn’t have to worry about justifying yourself or waging a war online. Send these comments right back to where they belong, in the shadows. Your fans know that you’re awesome and will stand by you as you swim through the negativity!
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