The Dual Edge of the Digital Revolution: Social Media’s Rapid Growth and the Proliferation of Explicit Content
The dawn of the 21st century heralded a communication revolution unlike any other, with social media platforms emerging from niche digital communities to integral facets of global society. The growth has been extraordinary: in 2004, MySpace was the first platform to hit a million users, yet by 2025, over 5.17 billion people—roughly 64.4% of the world’s population—were using social media daily. This rapid development has democratized information access, facilitated global connections, and created a multi-billion dollar advertising industry. However, this expansion has a dark undercurrent: the widespread, often inadvertent, emergence of sexually explicit content and pornography in user feeds and even, at times, advertisements. This phenomenon presents a complex challenge for platforms, users, and global regulators striving to balance free expression with user safety, particularly for minors.
