Young LGBTQIA people are more than twice as likely to experience hate speech online. This is according to the Digital Youth Index study, which was put together by UK company Nominet (which oversees the .uk domain names) to look at how young people use the internet.
Among others, the study similarly found that:
- minority groups were more likely to feel being online had a negative impact on them, with both LGBTQIA people and those with a mental health conditions claiming higher-than-average unease with their online lives
- more than two-thirds of young people, defined as those aged between eight and 25, had seen distressing content online, most commonly on social networks including Reddit, Twitter, TikTok and Tumblr
- Three in 10 said that their sleep had been negatively impacted by the internet and digital devices, with more than a quarter saying they would like to spend less time on their devices
- 53% said that at least being online had a positive impact on relationships with friends
In a statement, Paul Fletcher, Nominet’s chief executive, said that it has “never been more important for young people to feel connected, included and secure when they’re online.” But as such, “growing the diversity of the… digital talent pool and increasing digital skills for all young people is vital not just for improving social mobility and the economy, but for building the kind of society we need, today and tomorrow.”
