A recent survey has shown that girls and young women are hesitant to disconnect from social media despite experiencing online harm, due to the fear of missing out, commonly known as FOMO. The Girls’ Attitudes Survey conducted by Girlguiding revealed that over three-quarters (77%) of girls aged between seven and 21 have encountered some form of online harm within the past year.
The types of online harm ranged from mean comments and inappropriate images for the younger age group to bullying and harassment for those aged 11 and above. Instances of cyberstalking have increased by 6% to 17% among girls aged 11-21, while encounters with unwanted sexual images have risen by 9% to affect 35% of this age group. Moreover, nearly 38% of girls reported experiences of encountering people pretending to be someone else online, showing a significant 10% rise.
Worries regarding safety in relation to artificial intelligence (AI) were also highlighted in the survey. More than half (59%) of girls aged 11 to 21 expressed concerns about AI potentially being used to generate fake images of them and impersonate them online.
Despite facing negative online experiences, around 57% of 11 to 21-year-olds admitted hesitance towards taking a break from social media due to FOMO. This fear intensifies with age, with 60% of 17 to 21-year-olds expressing reluctance compared to 55% of 11 to 16-year-olds. Surprisingly, only just over a third (37%) of girls aged 11-21 consider themselves to have strong online connections, marking a 7% drop over the last four years according to Girlguiding.
The survey also revealed an increase in negative offline experiences among girls aged 11-21. The research found that 80% of girls know someone their age who has or had anxiety, up from 72% three years prior. Additionally, reports of knowing individuals engaged in self-harm rose to 68% from 65%, while those aware of someone with an eating disorder increased to 62% from 58%.
Sexism remains a prevalent issue, as highlighted by the survey, with 59% of 13 to 21-year-olds having encountered or witnessed sexual harassment. Furthermore, 85% of girls aged 11 to 21 reported experiencing sexism in their daily lives, be it through offline sexist remarks (53%) or online comments (73%).
Girlguiding emphasized that these findings are impacting girls’ sense of safety. The survey indicated that the proportion of 11 to 21-year-olds feeling less safe due to sexism and misogyny has more than doubled in a decade to 47% from 17%. Angela Salt, Chief Executive of Girlguiding, commented on the pervasive nature of sexism, stating that it leaves many girls feeling vulnerable and unsafe.
The survey reached a total of 2,734 girls and young women aged between seven and 21. Girlguiding aims to ensure that the voices of girls are heard in addressing these challenges, particularly those related to rising levels of misogyny and sexism.