{"id":66321,"date":"2022-12-11T23:04:43","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T04:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=66321"},"modified":"2022-12-11T23:04:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T04:04:43","slug":"online-safety-what-young-people-really-think-about-social-media-big-tech-regulation-and-adults-overreacting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/online-safety-what-young-people-really-think-about-social-media-big-tech-regulation-and-adults-overreacting\/","title":{"rendered":"Online safety: what young people really think about social media, big tech regulation and adults \u2018overreacting\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t say \u2018just don\u2019t go online\u2019 because adults wouldn\u2019t do that if something happened in the real world. If you got followed home, it\u2019s not like [they would say]: \u201cHey, stop leaving the house.\u201d Help the person understand that it wasn\u2019t their fault and try to help them through it \u2013 be a shoulder to cry on, but don\u2019t try and affect their social life personally. (15-year-old girl)<\/em>
\nYoung people are often reluctant to involve adults in their online lives. Many fear that parents and teachers will misunderstand or \u201coverreact\u201d in response to what they mostly regard as normal, unproblematic behaviour and experiences. Others say they are frustrated by adults who \u201ctrivialise\u201d their experiences.<\/p>\n

Over the past eight years,\u00a0I have had extensive discussions<\/a>\u00a0with (mainly) teenagers from a diverse range of social and economic backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations and genders about their experiences of social media and messaging apps. A lot of those I speak to initially try to downplay any issues. They make it clear they like being online and know how to handle any problems that may come up.<\/p>\n

But when I ask them to tell me more about these problems \u2013 while remaining neutral and interested rather than appearing judgmental \u2013 it\u2019s almost like the floodgates open. They want to talk about\u00a0the things they don\u2019t like and struggle with<\/a>; they just worry that they\u2019ll get into trouble if they are too honest.<\/p>\n

Some describe a relentless stream of abuse and hate that can \u201cruin\u201d the experience of being online. One 14-year-old girl says there is \u201cso much sexism, racism, homophobia\u201d which she thinks is wrong, but at the same time just an inevitable part of being online. A 14-year-old boy discloses: \u201cSometimes they\u2019ve been racist to me \u2026 Racist comments [in] messages from other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some LGBTQ+ girls tell me about the extent of hate they experience online:
\n[There\u2019s] a lot of bullying \u2026 it\u2019s coming from both adults and other children, [even] in safe spaces. There\u2019s group chats online where people are added and it\u2019s purposely [so people can] hate them.<\/em><\/p>\n

But they also point out that \u201cin the real world\u201d, people don\u2019t accept their sexuality and gender identity either. Most still want to stay online despite the risks because at least there is the chance of connecting with like-minded others. Yet they often seem quite despondent about how to support each other online and challenge bad behaviour, knowing it\u2019s risky to do so.<\/p>\n

Similarly girls, and boys too, seem almost to have to accept being sent unwanted and unsolicited sexual content as a condition of being online. \u201cI think you just sort of keep quiet about it,\u201d one 12-year-old girl tells me, suggesting that calling out such behaviour could have awful consequences if the sender then tells their friends.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s clear from all my discussions is that most young people regard reining in the big social media platforms as only part of the solution. They see the issues as social in nature \u2013 going beyond just being an online problem but as part-and-parcel of their wider lives. As one 14-year-old girl puts it: \u201cIt\u2019s not social media which is the issue \u2026 it\u2019s society and how we are taught.\u201d<\/p>\n

Legal but harmful<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The content of the UK government\u2019s new\u00a0Online Safety Bill<\/a>\u00a0is both complex and controversial. The\u00a0reported removal<\/a>\u00a0of a section dealing with \u201clegal but harmful\u201d content published by the largest and \u201chighest-risk\u201d social media platforms has attracted widespread criticism in some quarters, but strong support among those who regard the bill \u2013 which must be finalised by the summer of 2023 \u2013 as a threat to free speech.<\/p>\n

In theory this measure relates to adults, as children are already protected from viewing harmful material by \u201cunder 18\u201d gateways. However, many of those criticising the removal of this section are still deeply concerned about children\u2019s ability to view legal but harmful content.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0coroner\u2019s report<\/a>\u00a0into the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell in November 2017 concluded that her viewing of social media content had contributed in \u201cmore than a minimal way\u201d to her death. The senior coroner, Andrew Walker, said the material Russell had viewed \u201cshouldn\u2019t have been available for a child to see\u201d. In response, her father Ian Russell suggested that social media firms should \u201cthink long and hard about whether their platforms are suitable for young people at all\u201d.<\/p>\n

There have been numerous other examples of young people coming to harm as a result of online experiences, including after being\u00a0bullied<\/a>\u00a0or having\u00a0sexual images<\/a>\u00a0shared online. According to the UK\u2019s media regulator\u00a0Ofcom<\/a>, more than a third of children aged eight to 17 have seen something \u201cworrying or nasty\u201d online in the last 12 months, while one in three\u00a0lie about their age<\/a>\u00a0to access adult-rated content on social media. Consuming content on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok is the most popular online activity for children, with 31% having posted content they\u2019ve created, most commonly on TikTok.<\/p>\n

Social media platforms have age restrictions but most lack robust mechanisms to enforce them \u2013 the user just has to enter a date of birth, which they can make up. The\u00a0Children Commissioner\u2019s 2020 survey<\/a>\u00a0found that over half of children aged 11 to 13 and over a third of those aged eight to ten reported using platforms despite not being old enough.<\/p>\n

Of course, children and young people (my term for 13 to 17-year-olds) vary a lot in how they talk about the issues and in their levels of critical awareness and digital literacy. But in this \u201cpost-digital era<\/a>\u201d where the use of social media is taken for granted by children as young as 12 and in some cases ten or younger \u2013 hearing their perspectives is a critical part of understanding how best to monitor and regulate the online landscape. In this article, children and young people talk candidly about what they think the most pressing issues are \u2013 and how they want to be supported as they navigate the risks that can arise.<\/p>\n

Mixed messages<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Everyone has perfect makeup and perfect bodies and you think: why isn\u2019t that me? (13-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

The idea that online spaces can be fun, informative and uplifting but also fractious and divided has emerged time and again in my discussions with young people. Some girls have been quite animated telling me about the fun they have with each other sharing dances and lip syncs on TikTok \u201caround the world\u201d, with the aim of \u201ctrending\u201d and reaching as many viewers as possible.<\/p>\n

Many are quite dismissive of any negative impacts, and breezily say that it\u2019s just about enjoying themselves. They maintain that online spaces can include more diverse representations and \u201cbody positive\u201d content, while pushing back against fears over narrow concepts of beauty and overly curated lifestyles.<\/p>\n

\"\"

timelineguru\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

But they also describe seeing streams of abuse and \u201cshaming\u201d as they scroll through posts and comments \u2013 some of which is directed toward them personally. Girls tell me about being \u201chated on\u201d including about their bodies and appearance:<\/p>\n

The way I\u2019m dressed: people will just tell me to go kill myself and slit my wrists but it\u2019s just something you can\u2019t escape. If someone dresses in a smaller dress or with cleavage showing, they are called a slut and told they\u2019re asking for it. However you look, you\u2019ll be made fun of for it.(15-year-old girl)<\/em>
\nEven those who think such comments are funny or insignificant at the time can be worried about digital footprints and so-called \u201ccancel culture\u201d:
\nIf you said something maybe a couple of years ago \u2026 people will bring that up now and then, like, cancel you for it. They will constantly hate on you [even if] your opinion on it has changed \u2026 I know now from when I was young my opinions on many things have definitely changed. (15-year-old girl).<\/em><\/p>\n

Many of the girls I speak to suggest this \u201ctoxic\u201d environment is more of an issue for vulnerable girls who may \u201cget anxiety\u201d or develop an \u201ceating disorder\u201d. But as we talk more, some admit to struggling themselves and, like this 15-year-old girl, can seem quite downbeaten by it all:
\nPeople might see someone online and compare themselves \u2013 and think they need to lose weight and start changing their eating habits. Then gradually it becomes like a routine \u2013 they start changing their eating habits and then it can sometimes become so extreme.<\/em><\/p>\n

Among the most commonly expressed fears for young people today is that teenage girls are being exposed to relentless images of the \u201cperfect body\u201d and pro-diet culture messaging on social media \u2013 and that this is damaging their self-esteem and body image.<\/p>\n

One group of 13-year-olds I speak to seem quite conflicted \u2013 they want to present themselves as \u201csavvy\u201d about what is and isn\u2019t real, and the way that people use social media to portray \u201cperfection\u201d. They are perfectly aware that what they see online isn\u2019t \u201creal\u201d \u2013 that it constitutes the \u201chighlights reel\u201d of someone\u2019s life. But they also look quite despondent when talking about how it makes them feel about themselves personally:<\/p>\n

You see a lot of people who look so pretty and perfect but it\u2019s so hard to tell because they\u2019re on social media and they could have used Photoshop or filters. And then you kind of look at yourself in the mirror and you\u2019re like, I don\u2019t look like them.<\/em><\/p>\n

The role of adults<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In my work with young people, I\u2019m mindful of not simply listening uncritically to what they say. While I need to be non-judgmental and open-minded if I\u2019m going to get them to open up, I also need to try to make sense of the ways that young people may themselves behave in harmful ways online, either putting themselves or others at risk.<\/p>\n

Many of those I speak to seem to think it\u2019s just common sense that involving adults is not desirable. These 15-year-old girls explain how differences in what adults and young people think is \u201cnormal\u201d and \u201cacceptable\u201d can close down dialogue:<\/p>\n

A lot of adults have strong opinions about sharing things with other people online. If they don\u2019t approve of sharing pictures and stuff, they think that\u2019s bad \u2013 but, like, it\u2019s normal and a good way to have a good time.<\/em><\/p>\n

I think they\u2019re not very familiar with how we use modern technology. Adults might have heard of, say, a bad incident that happened with one particular person. But<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think that means the app generally is unsafe.<\/p>\n

In the right environment, however, many young people do want to talk about what they see and experience online. Like this 15-year-old girl, they want to be understood and taken seriously:<\/p>\n

If you go and tell a teacher, sometimes they might not take it seriously because it\u2019s, like: \u201cOh, it\u2019s on the internet \u2013 it\u2019s not affecting you in real life.\u201d [So] they don\u2019t think it\u2019s a problem.<\/em><\/p>\n

Few appear to think the solution is coming offline altogether. Well-worn narratives of \u201cstranger danger\u201d shape implorations from adults to ensure social media profiles are private and that young people only speak to those online who they already know offline. Yet such advice is completely contrary to the way in which meeting new people online is, rightly or wrongly, an entirely normal way for young people to expand their social circles:<\/p>\n

I followed mutual friends and started replying to their stories: \u201cOh, you look pretty, this and that.\u201d And then I got added into group chats and you had a laugh \u2026 It\u2019s nice to get to know new people. (14-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

During lockdown when otherwise unable to spend time with people, this 17-year-old boy says he was especially thankful for being able to meet new people online:<\/p>\n

[During the pandemic] everybody was so far apart, it didn\u2019t really matter where someone lived \u2026 because you couldn\u2019t see them. I got to meet a lot of people through social media that I didn\u2019t know in person.<\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Office for National Statistics<\/a>\u00a0(ONS) found that 30% of children aged 10-15 in England and Wales have accepted a \u201cfriend request\u201d from someone they don\u2019t know, and 17% have spoken to or exchanged messages with someone online who they\u2019ve never met in person. Around 2% say they have done so with someone they thought was their age but later found out was much older, and 5% have gone on to meet up with someone they first communicated with online.<\/p>\n

But the interplay of risk and reward means young people don\u2019t simply want to be told not to interact with new people online. They consider this advice a \u201cscare tactic\u201d and seem frustrated about such messages:<\/p>\n

School has taught us to understand the dangers but I think it comes with some kind of self-assessment when you\u2019re actually talking to them. Otherwise, if you don\u2019t add anyone and you don\u2019t get to meet new people online, then you\u2019re stuck with the people that you already know so you can\u2019t expand your social circle. (16-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

Many young people say they feel more confident and comfortable when talking to new people online than \u201cIRL\u201d (in real life). Some also feel that online communication with friends provides freedom from the usual pressures and scrutiny \u2013 for example, as one 14-year-old boy confides, when developing romantic interests because \u201conline it is more private\u201d.<\/p>\n

But the same boy goes on to say that communicating online can be risky because \u201cwith your messages \u2026 that information gets passed around\u201d. Many I\u2019ve spoken to, both girls and boys, seem conflicted about the potential harms of using social media. But they don\u2019t want to give up the benefits just to avoid the risks.<\/p>\n

How young people feel about sexual content<\/strong><\/h4>\n

While most young people are more reluctant to talk about their experiences of sex online, this does also depend on whether they will be judged for doing anything \u201cwrong\u201d. Once reassured, many talk quite openly about\u00a0being sent unwanted and unsolicited sexual content<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 perhaps because they think it\u2019s not their fault and can\u2019t be told off for it.<\/p>\n

Many seem almost resigned to being sent unwanted and unsolicited sexual content. The notorious \u201cdick pic\u201d \u2013 mainly sent to girls both by boys they know and, worryingly often, by older men they don\u2019t know \u2013 is something that some girls have got used to. They are often\u00a0visibly frustrated, angry and disgusted by these experiences<\/a>\u00a0and want to get them off their chest:<\/p>\n

On Snapchat where you add someone and before you start a conversation, they\u2019ll just send explicit photos. (15-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

I feel like the girls have just gotten used to it [being sent dick pics], and it\u2019s really disgusting to see. (14-year-old girl)
\nAccording to the\u00a0ONS<\/a>, 11% of children in England and Wales aged 13-15 report having received a sexual message (69% in the form of a photo or image) in the last 12 months. Girls aged 13-15 are significantly more likely to have received sexual messages than boys (16% vs 6%).<\/p>\n

Reporting rates are low. Young people tend to just block the sender if it\u2019s an older stranger \u2013 easy enough because \u201cit\u2019s done with\u201d. But then, as one 14-year-old girl says: \u201cIt plays in your head for a bit [because of] the amount of times it has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s a boy they know who has sent the message or picture, it can become complicated because of their concerns about boys \u201cgetting annoyed\u201d if they report it and get the boy into trouble. Here, I often see more embarrassment and awkwardness \u2013 even among very young girls:<\/p>\n

I think you just sort of keep quiet about it [and] try to avoid them \u2026 Imagine if they go to their mates [to say you\u2019ve complained] \u2013 it\u2019s really awkward. (12-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

If they find out you reported it, they have a go at you saying: \u201cOh my god, you\u2019re too uptight, why would you do this to my mate?\u201d \u2026 And then it would go round school and I would think: \u201cMaybe I am too uptight.\u201d (16-year-old girl)<\/p>\n

Many girls say they have to deal with being asked for nude images \u2013 risking being abused by a boy if they say no, and shamed and ostracised by peers if they say yes and then the images are \u201cleaked\u201d. There\u2019s the familiar double standard that boys take pleasure from these images while the girl carries the risk:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost like an ego or self-confidence thing. If you were to say no to doing something then they\u2019ll pin that on you, instead of [thinking] what they did was wrong. Then they\u2019ll insult you or say something just to give themselves more confidence again. (16-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ironically, some girls tell me about learning from TikTok videos how to refuse nude requests in a light-hearted way. Some describe fake boyfriend snaps as \u201clifesavers\u201d \u2013 they feel that while they do not expect boys to respect them, they will respect another boy. These girls are almost laughing and joking around as they recount using these techniques, despite knowing it is a problem that they cannot just say no.<\/p>\n

And while it\u2019s often assumed that boys are happy to consume porn, a lot of the boys I\u2019ve spoken to \u2013 aged 12 and upwards \u2013 don\u2019t like being sent this content and, like the girls, just block the senders. When I\u2019ve spoken to boys about porn more generally, I have found lots of\u00a0nuance and variation in their perspectives<\/a>. They often want to talk at length about the confusion and insecurities they feel.<\/p>\n

Many seem quite innocent in how they talk about what they are watching, which is a contrast from the nature of the porn they describe seeing and the regularity with which they are watching it. They are worried for themselves, it seems, but don\u2019t know how to make sense of it or where to go for help.<\/p>\n

The role of algorithms<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Many young people bemoan the social media algorithms and platform design features (also known as \u201caffordances<\/a>\u201d) that make trying to stay in control of their online experiences so difficult. Some suspect that algorithms \u201celevate\u201d the most argumentative and abusive content and exchanges, and want social media companies to do more in this regard:<\/p>\n

Social media platforms should be more strict with people. There are all these bad comments but [the people posting them] don\u2019t get punished. (15-year-old boy)<\/em>
\nHowever, many of my interviewees point out that the algorithms are \u201cgamed\u201d by young users, and appear fatalistic that such issues can ever be solved:
\nThere\u2019s a setting on Twitter where you can block certain words to reduce the likelihood you might see this stuff \u2026 but they don\u2019t count out the synonyms.\u201c (15-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

The dynamics of “likes\u201d and \u201cfollows\u201d reinforces the idea of there being an agreed-upon standard for aspiration. This 13-year-old boy is almost cynical in his exasperation about how social media works:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cycle. Once that person\u2019s likes rise, unless they do something really stupid or something that a large majority of their fans or followers disagree with, then they\u2019re going to keep rising. It\u2019s a bit of a cycle \u2013 it\u2019s quite subconscious: \u201cOh, I should like them.\u201d And then that amounts to another like and then another person says: \u201cI wish I had got even more.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Young people think that the design of the platforms motivate people to engage in negative behaviour online to gain likes and follows. Those I speak to seem to think this is common but also annoying and unhealthy:<\/p>\n

People like to post [school] fights in their [Snapchat] stories just to get views \u2026 so more people see it. (15-year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

Many understand that this can promote unreliable content-sharing and \u201cfake news\u201d, because people \u201cwant to start something big and they want everyone to be discussing it \u2026 people can twist the headline around, make it look more eye-catching \u2026\u201d (12-year-old girl)<\/p>\n

\"\"

timelineguru\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Some say they try to make decisions about the social media they use to avoid content and people that cause problems.\u00a0According to Ofcom<\/a>, while most 12 to 17-year-olds are confident they can tell what is real and fake online, only 11% correctly selected the components of a social media post that were genuine, and 22% of 12 to 17-year-olds were unable to detect a fake online social media profile.<\/p>\n

Overwhelmingly, though, most young people tell me that introducing more regulations for the major social media platforms can only ever be part of the solution for the issues they encounter. They don\u2019t just want technological solutions but broader solutions regarding the way people behave both on and offline. A 15-year-old girl talks thoughtfully about the most constructive way to deal with being sent a dick pic, saying: \u201cIf you block someone, it won\u2019t solve the bigger issue of people thinking they can still do this:<\/p>\n

Your instant reaction would just be to remove [the sender]. But maybe instead of that, you could just be like, no it\u2019s wrong \u2013 speak up instead of just removing it \u2026 You might be scared but once you actually do it, you\u2019ll probably feel a sense of accomplishment because you\u2019re actually helping, like you\u2019ve resolved the issue and it would help a lot of other people as well. (15 year-old girl)<\/em><\/p>\n

But many, such as this 14-year-old boy, sound fatalistic about the prospects of social media companies changing the online environment for young people:<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything they can really do. It\u2019s just that people need to be a bit more careful about what they\u2019re posting online on social media.<\/em>
\nA 13-year-old girl talks about a transgender friend who is “active on social media\u201d and experiences a lot of abuse. Her advice?
\nJust don\u2019t post anything \u2026 If you want to avoid that situation, you could still have the social medias but don\u2019t post, just text friends.<\/em><\/p>\n

While many young people think such advice is common sense, it also speaks to an unfairness in the ways that different young people have to act online to keep themselves safe. Some young people may feel shut out because they cannot be open about who they are or what they think.<\/p>\n

An impossible situation?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Some boys I speak to think that sharing homophobic jokes in private WhatsApp groups is not a problem, although they know they might get into trouble if other people find out. One 17-year-old boy is dismissive about the significance of sharing such messages:<\/p>\n

Some boys do extreme jokes that cross the line for homophobia. They\u2019ve got into a lot of trouble [but] it\u2019s just laughed off [with friends] \u2013 it\u2019s just kind of funny. [I\u2019m] not bothered in that respect.<\/em><\/p>\n

But many other young people feel more targeted and at risk. A group of LGBTQ+ girls describe \u201ca lot of bullying\u201d coming from both adults and other young people.<\/p>\n

While some say they still feel safer online than in real life, they complain that \u201cyour online space is being negative to you as well\u201d. Ultimately, one suggests:<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing [you] can do without getting made fun of at this point. No matter what you say or do, you get some form of hate for it, so you may as well just let it happen.<\/em><\/p>\n

It seems these girls feel they have to stay online despite the risks because at least there is the chance of connecting with like-minded others who may be able to provide support. In this sense, they seem to be navigating an impossible situation, and are both angry about the risks they face but also resigned to them.<\/p>\n

Across different aspects of online life \u2013 as with real life \u2013 pleasure and pain intersect for young people. It may be both \u201cfunny\u201d and \u201cdodgy\u201d to watch an argument play out among peers online, or to send content that they may get in trouble for if unintended audiences find out. Risk-taking is a normal part of adolescence, but in the digital age it can come with consequences that may be more significant than was the case for previous generations.<\/p>\n

Young people both want to look at aspirational content but are ambivalent about how it makes them feel about themselves. They want to connect with new people online but are tired of encountering abusive and hateful content and being sent unwanted sexual content. Boys, particularly, are drawn to pornography online but often feel confused about what they see. Known peers may be involved in risky behaviour online but it may feel compulsory, or even desirable, to take part either directly or as a witness.<\/p>\n

Big tech cannot solve these tensions and dilemmas of adolescent life alone. Tackling them requires what is sometimes referred to as a \u201cpost-digital\u201d approach that considers risk and harm along a continuum that spans both\u00a0real and online life<\/a>, rather than treating the latter as a delineated category that can be dealt with through big tech tools and regulation alone.<\/p>\n

Young people have always bullied each other, compared themselves unfavourably with idealised cultural representations of \u201cperfection\u201d, and explored and expressed their developing sexualities in ways that have worried the adults around them. The point is to identify how the design of social media platforms has entrenched and potentially reshaped patterns of vulnerability.<\/p>\n

Above all, the tensions in young people\u2019s willingness to involve adults (they both want support they can trust but fear being judged and punished) need to be resolved. Conversations may need to be less concerned with eradicating a particular risk, and more with establishing a dialogue whereby\u00a0young people feel able and willing to come for help<\/a>\u00a0when they need it. Otherwise, as this 12-year-old girl observes:
\nI think almost everything I know about social media comes from social media. [Adults] just go back to the very basics that everyone already knows. It\u2019s kind of wasting time when they could be telling us something we don\u2019t know.<\/em>
\nFor you: more from our\u00a0Insights series<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n