“In the end, you don’t feel disturbed – you feel blank.” There are still some nights, she says, when the dreams return. “That’s when you know the job has done something to you.”Researchers say this emotional numbing – followed by delayed psychological fallout – is a defining feature of content moderation work. “In terms of risk,” she says, “content moderation belongs in the category of dangerous work, comparable to any lethal industry.”Studies indicate content moderation triggers lasting cognitive and emotional strain, often resulting in behavioural changes such as heightened vigilance. She uses a secondhand laptop to do content moderation work. About 80% of data-annotation and content moderation workers are drawn from rural, semi-rural ormarginalised backgrounds.

Source: The Guardian February 06, 2026 06:32 UTC