Working from home has always had an appeal, but jobs that allow you to do so tend to be hard to find. So when you do find one, it's important not to lose your head in the excitement but still manage to do your due diligence before committing to it.

Let's explore the position of a social media moderator, what it entails: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here's what you need to consider before signing on to be a moderator.

What Does a Social Media Moderator Do?

Being a social media moderator may sound like the best thing since you can do the job at home in your pajamas and get paid for it. But what exactly do you get paid to do? And what kind of moderation are you expected to do?

Generally, you could get hired to do social media moderation for an online platform, or you can do community management. Doing the first means you take on the burden of moderating any content uploaded to the social media platform, ensuring the rules and guidelines are upheld, and all is safe for viewing. Think platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which immensely benefit from having moderators. It's why many creators add moderators to social media live streams.

With community management, you deal with the online community itself. You moderate the overall activities that occur within that page or group on the social media platform. For example, what Reddit moderators do in their various subreddits differs from what the paid employees of Reddit do.

It might not seem like a big difference between the two distinctions, but it is. So what does the job of a social media moderator entail exactly?

social media apps on phone screen

As stated, doing social media moderation means you review and manage user-generated content and user activity on an online social platform. That means you should know the guidelines users have to follow and know that you're in your right to enact said rules, moderate the content, and intervene when users break them. You, in essence, act as a filter.

Since different platforms tend to have different rules, restrictions, and policies, to guarantee everyone follows them, you have to ensure you at least understand them to a point where you can see who's not adhering to them.

That could mean preventing certain phrases or words from getting posted, or in terms of images getting uploaded, that they are appropriate for the platform in question. Comments, reviews, everything goes through your eyes, the moderator.

Don't fall under the illusion that it's an easy job.

The Benefits of Being a Paid Moderator

woman with laptop on bed

The biggest pull the job has is that you can do it remotely. Finding a quality remote job can be difficult, so many consider this a huge benefit. Of course, not every single position may offer that, but generally, many moderator positions allow you to work from home.

Alongside having the option to work from home, many job offers also let you have flexible hours. Again, that doesn't apply to all, but enough that people tend to expect it.

Another major pull for a lot of people is the additional perks that come with the job. Since it tends to be a demanding job that can be pretty draining and stressful, employers look to provide a lot of activities and support to counteract that. So you might get access to wellness seminars, mental health aid, physical perks like fitness classes, and so on.

Given that not many jobs offer those kinds of additional perks, it's worth considering them.

The Important Drawbacks of Being a Social Media Moderator

Before getting into moderation, you must have a realistic idea of what the job entails.

As a moderator, you will see all manner of things, and you need to mentally prepare for that. Depending on the position, you may see disturbing and unnerving things, images you'd rather forget, and words you'd rather not have read. But these things will be part of your job.

As the person sifting through the content shared on a certain platform and deeming it appropriate or not, you are the one who sees it all. So, before you sign on as a moderator, you have to know you're likely to see and read things that will affect your mental state. You're likely to encounter violence, exploitation, and illegal content on a daily basis.

While algorithms can automatically filter out some of the content and software tries to protect moderators by obscuring media somewhat, human review is needed for a significant amount of content.

There's no sugarcoating the bad stuff you can see and risk being haunted by, and there shouldn't be. You should know what you're getting yourself into with this job. Exposure to disturbing content will be a part of your daily workload. It's a harsh reality, and you must face it before getting into it.

In the wake of lawsuits against companies for the effects the job has had on moderators, listings for moderator positions have gotten better about being open and transparent about what the job entails. Many companies prefer honesty about the disturbing content their moderators can face rather than blindsiding them and risking lawsuits.

For example, various (ex) TikTok moderators opened lawsuits against the social media giant for the trauma they experienced while moderating for the platform. Facebook and YouTube have faced similar lawsuits, and in 2020 it was reported that Facebook would pay $52 million in settlement with the moderators who stated they developed PTSD on the job.

Moderation is a serious occupation that takes a toll on you. So if you're considering applying to fill the position, you need to know that.

There Are Other Remote Digital Jobs Out There

Moderation as a job has its perks, but you need to be aware of its downsides, too. So don't close your eyes to all the negatives that come with the position.

If you don't believe you can handle the stress and high mental toll of the demanding moderation role, know that there are other jobs out there. You can absolutely find digital employment positions that can be done remotely.

Broaden your job search, and you're bound to find one that fits you better than the role of a social media moderator. And if you do decide to become a moderator, enter the job with as much information at hand as possible regarding what you will face.