We have mods from ages 18 - 45, single mods living with parents to married moderators with children. We stay connected on Discord, discussing content that comes up or activity happening within the sub. Each moderator is encouraged to put life first, and we attend to our duties as moderator between work and personal life." This significantly slowed traffic eventually. The moderators asked Reddit to reverse the decision to be 18+, but Reddit would not allow the change back. Posts are no longer pending moderator approval, but the traffic has never rebounded completely. r/MakeMeSuffer used to get hundreds of daily posts and now gets much less. Comments are also down significantly, but many of the comments were from trolls and were removed due to hate speech or rude/uncivil comments." Reviewing incoming emails is also a large part of a moderator’s duties. Responding to members of the community as they have concerns takes time. Training new moderators and reviewing concerns with the moderator team are also important to ensure everyone is on the same page and is working to respond in a similar fashion." She told us, “The captivation with disgust, particularly in the context of sharing disturbing images online, such as on the subreddit “Make Me Suffer,” can be attributed to several psychological factors. Firstly, there’s a phenomenon known as “benign masochism,” where people derive pleasure from experiences that are initially perceived as negative. This can include watching scary movies, eating extremely spicy food, or, in this case, viewing disturbing images. It’s a form of thrill-seeking, where the knowledge that these experiences are not actually harmful allows people to enjoy the sensation of being “disgusted” in a safe environment. Additionally, there’s a social aspect: sharing and discussing these images can create a sense of community and shared experience, which can be appealing.” According to Spelman, some people use it as a coping mechanism as well. “Engaging in activities that are slightly unpleasant or discomforting but ultimately harmless can provide a sense of control and a way to confront fears or anxieties in a controlled setting. It’s a way to experience and process negative emotions in a context where the individual feels safe and in control. This can be therapeutic and help in building resilience against stress and anxiety.” “If not kept in balance, these behaviors can escalate, leading to a desensitization to disturbing content, which might require increasingly extreme experiences to achieve the same emotional effect. There’s also a risk of normalizing or becoming insensitive to real-world violence and suffering. Additionally, if these behaviors are used as a primary coping mechanism, they might prevent individuals from developing healthier emotional processing and coping strategies. It’s important for individuals to monitor their engagement with such content and ensure it doesn’t interfere with their emotional well-being or social functioning.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.