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A new survey has revealed that young women are staying off social media due to a surge in misogynistic content and divisive language on such platforms.
Public awareness about online safety has ramped up in recent weeks, with Netflix’s hit television series Adolescence sparking a widespread conversation about digital dangers faced by children. These conversations have even influenced debates in UK parliament.
With so much of our lives spent online, governments, parents, and teachers have scrambled to enforce sufficient safeguards to protect generations gaining access to technology earlier than ever. This has been difficult in light of always-evolving technologies and the endless stream of content available online.
That said, new research findings are uncovering a particularly interesting trend. A survey by Amnesty International UK has revealed that young women are removing themselves from social media platforms voluntarily.
Speaking to more than 3,000 members of Gen Z in the UK, the organisation found that 6 in 10 young people between the ages of 16-25 think the words and behaviours of political leaders like US President Donald Trump are resulting in misogynistic and divisive language being used more frequently in online spaces.
Young girls said that this growing ‘toxic “bro” culture’ is driving them off social media apps altogether. Some say they have been a victim of misogynistic treatment online, while others simply do not want to see or be exposed to these figures or ideologies.
More than half of the male respondents (54 percent) cited controversial influencer Andrew Tate as most responsible for the spread of misogyny, while 58 percent of women attributed the worrying rise to President Trump.
This is an interesting figure, when a 2023 survey found that young boys admit to paying more attention to Tate than local politics.
Still, the vast majority of young people were in agreement about one thing: the belief that misogynistic and divisive language on social media is growing exponentially.
