The Silent Sufferings of Animals

In the corner of a dimly lit room, a shivering dog with sorrowful eyes and a broken spirit lies huddled, its once-gleaming coat now matted and scarred. This heart-wrenching scene is a glimpse into the daily harrowing reality that countless innocent animals face, victims of unspeakable cruelty and neglect. In a world where empathy and justice should prevail, a sinister and often unseen evil thrives, casting shadows over the innocent lives of our fellow creatures who, unlike us, have no voice to cry out in protest. From dogfighting to animal torture, animal cruelty has become an increasingly popular form of entertainment. Despite major social media companies asserting their commitment to internet safety and strict community standards, it is a concerning fact that thousands of posts promoting animal cruelty continue to slip through the cracks.

A recent report by Asia for Animals Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC) shows that between July 2020 and August 2021, there were 5,480 documented links to animal cruelty videos on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, with up to 97 different species, many of which are endangered. These videos have become almost “celebrity-like,” generating up to 5.3 billion views in total. Animal abuse on social media takes many forms, from subtle and unintentional to harmful and clearly intentional. Surprisingly, most content on this topic falls into the latter category, with footage of “people eating live animals,” “infant monkeys being buried alive,” and “kittens are stepped on or set alight.”

To make matters worse, cruelty on social media gains recognition in the form of likes, comments, and shares. According to SMAC, YouTube earned up to 12 million from animal cruelty content within three months, with abusive content creators raking in nearly 15 million. Despite the persistent urging of many animal protection organizations for social media platforms to create and enforce policies that prevent the sharing of animal cruelty content and develop more advanced monitoring systems to remove such content, there has been little to no success.

When we stumble upon videos of animal cruelty on social media, it is essential to take immediate action. REPORT THE VIDEO. This alerts the platform of the presence of inappropriate material and prompts an investigation that could lead to its removal. IMMEDIATELY SCROLL PAST THE VIDEO. Social media algorithms use view counts to determine a video's popularity, and fewer views mean a reduced likelihood of being recommended to others. REFRAIN FROM ENGAGING WITH THE VIDEO IN ANY WAY. This includes commenting, liking, or watching it. By following these three critical steps—reporting, scrolling past, and avoiding engagement—we can each play a part in limiting the circulation of such distressing content and help create a more compassionate society.











Works Cited

“Facebook Breaks Its Own Rules on Animal Cruelty and Trading.” ACCO,
www.counteringcrime.org/online-crimes/facebook-breaks-its-own-rules-on-animal-cruelty-and-trading?gclid=Cj0KCQjww4-hBhCtARIsAC9gR3ZRXpVYwetIz24ZDUYdYO1NEIu4NAnahqJ8fUHEjQP5OIkkEK-qBnUaAk_BEALw_wcB. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

Freethinker, Lady. REPORT: THE DEADLY, UNDERGROUND WORLD of DOGFIGHTING
on FACEBOOK a Snapshot of Facebook’s Marketplace for Cruelty. 2019.

“New Report Confirms Social Media Is Fueling Wild Animal Abuse | World Animal
Protection.” Www.worldanimalprotection.us, www.worldanimalprotection.us/blogs/new-report-confirms-social-media-fueling-wild-animal-abuse. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

“YouTube Sued over Animal Abuse Videos, Accused of Not Enforcing Ban (Published 2021).” The New York Times, 2023, www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/technology/youtube-sued-animal-abuse.html. Accessed 5 Apr. 2023.