A Study for the Suppression of Slander on SNS by Encouraging Senders to Change Their Mindsets and Behaviors

Abstract

Suppressing slander on social networking service (SNS) is important to reduce the number of people who feel hurt. The Japanese government has begun strengthening penalties for the crime of contempt, but the timing of enforcement is still uncertain. In addition, attempts are being made to display warning messages. However, we believe that a fundamental and long-term suppression of slander requires changes of the mindsets and behaviors of senders themselves. Therefore, we propose a method to change the source of pleasant sensation from slander to appreciation. Specifically, the method is to make senders realize that they feel good to send positive messages and receive positive replies from imaginary receivers. To achieve this, the agent (the smiling sender) converts the slanderous words in negative messages into positive words. It also automatically generates positive reply messages from imaginary receivers and notifies them to the senders. This paper provides an overview of the initial development and progress.