Young LGBTQI+ people are nearly twice as likely to experience hate online, new research shows. The annual Digital Youth Index study, carried out by internet firm Nominet, found more than half (52%) of young people in the LGBTQI+ community had experienced hate speech.
That compared to roughly one in four (26%) who identify as heterosexual. The feeling that being online had had a negative impact on them was also higher among LGBTQI+ people, as well as among those with a mental health condition.
Overall, more than two thirds of people aged between eight and 25 (69%) said they had seen distressing content online. Reddit, Twitter, TikTok and Tumblr were identified as the places where young people were most likely to come across it.
More than a quarter (26%) said they had experienced violence online, while 23% said they had encountered sexual content. Three in 10 said their sleep had been affected by being online.
On the plus side, more than half (53%) said they felt being online had had a positive affect on their relationships with friends.
The survey suggested there is still work to be done on training and access when it comes to digital skills. Only 20% of young people said they had received good foundational training from school around the digital world, while 26% of said they don't have access to a laptop.
Paul Fletcher, Nominet chief executive, said: “It’s never been more important for young people to feel connected, included and secure when they’re online. Completing this research over a number of years allows us to compare young people’s digital skills, their use of online services and their mental health and overall well-being over time.
"Society depends on young people learning to thrive in our increasingly digital world. Growing the diversity of the UK’s 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.”
