by Most boys aged 11-14 have been exposed to online content that promotes misogyny and other harmful views, according to research.
New research commissioned by Vodafone to mark Safer Internet Day found that 69% of boys had jobs that fostered misogyny, and 70% of teachers said they had seen an increase in sexual language in the classroom in the past year.
It said 42% of parents had heard their sons make inappropriate comments because of what they saw online, including comments that were sexual, violent or degrading about women and girls.
The study warned that AI-powered algorithms pushing content for boys online was a key part of the problem, and the research showed that such content often appeared when users were searching for otherwise innocuous content, such as fitness or gaming content.
The research included a survey, carried out by Opinium, of 1,000 parents and boys aged 11-14, as well as more than 4,000 teachers.
Vodafone and children’s charity the NSPCC have created a new online toolkit in collaboration with children and parents to support families to have conversations about online safety.
The mobile operator also launched a campaign alongside the charity’s Global Action Plan, which calls for new online safety regulator Ofcom to prioritize “safety by design” as it begins to implement the Online Safety Act. force.
Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: “Every parent knows that being online is part of children’s everyday lives – but it’s vital that we don’t miss the boat on AI when it comes to safe baking at the start of the journey .
“We chose this Safer Internet Day to raise awareness of this issue and support the Global Action Plan in their quest for a safer internet. We’ve also created a new toolkit in partnership with the NSPCC to help parents navigate the online world. We have been active in the digital parenting space for the past 14 years and are committed to doing more in the future.”
Vodafone’s research comes as another study, carried out by University College London (UCL), the University of Kent and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also found that social media algorithms were increasing misogynistic content for teenagers.
Through interviews with young people and school leaders, the researchers also discovered that hateful ideologies and misogynistic tropes had moved offline and into schools and were becoming embedded in youth culture.
The study’s lead investigator, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr, said that “algorithmic processes” on social media sites “target people’s vulnerabilities” and “harmful content is targeted”.
“When young people micro-dose topics like self-harm, or extremism, to them, it feels like entertainment,” she said.
“Harmful attitudes and tropes are becoming more normalized among young people. Online consumption is influencing the offline behaviors of young people, as we see these ideologies moving off screens and into the school yard.
“Furthermore, adults are often unaware of how harmful algorithmic processes operate, or indeed how they may contribute to their own social media addictions, making parenting the issues more difficult this.”
Over the weekend, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey called for a ban on social media apps on smartphones for under-16s, and for parents to be notified of searches for inappropriate content.
One of Brianna’s killers, Scarlett Jenkinson, who was 15 at the time of the murder, watched videos of torture and murder online.
New research from the UK’s Safer Internet Center found that around three-quarters of parents and carers (74%) were concerned about safety as technologies such as AI, virtual reality and and new social media apps are accelerating.
But as well as supporting parents, NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said it was important to give young people a voice in online safety too.
“We are delighted to support Safer Internet Day again this year and recognize its importance in raising awareness of a safer internet for young people, encouraging everyone to take part,” he said.
“Today’s children are the first generation to truly grow up online, but decisions about the online world are still being made without them.
“And while technology is more popular than ever, it’s now more complicated to avoid harm online. This year’s theme young people inspire change draws attention to the importance of adults listening to and acting on children’s valuable insights and expertise.
“If we are going to make sure all children are safe online we need to give children a voice in what that safety looks like for them.
“We are committed to this within our own work at the NSPCC, amplifying the voices and experiences of children and young people to help keep them safe online.”
Vodafone and the NSPCC toolkit for families can be accessed at https://vodafone.co.uk/digitalparenting.
