Women spend more time online than men, but worry more about online harms – Ofcom
4 months ago

Women spend more time online than men, but worry more about online harms – Ofcom

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Women are spending more time online than men, but are more concerned about online harms, new data from Ofcom shows. The communications regulator’s latest Online Nation report found that across all adult groups and devices, women are spending 33 minutes more online each day than men, rising to an average of just over an hour longer among 18 to 24-year-olds. The study found men were actually more likely to have had experience with encountering online harms such as misinformation, scams or fraud and hateful content, but women and girls were more likely to experience content promoting unhealthy eating or exercise and body-image related posts. Ofcom’s study also highlighted other gendered online habits, with men found to be more likely to use generative AI tools or visit pornography websites, while women were found to be more likely to visit health and wellbeing sites.

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History of this topic

Ofcom to ‘shine light’ on sites not doing enough to protect women and girls
1 month ago

Ofcom to ‘shine light’ on sites not doing enough to protect women and girls

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The online safety regulator said that as well as enforcing new legally binding rules around …

Ofcom to ‘shine light’ on sites not doing enough to protect women and girls
1 month ago

Ofcom to ‘shine light’ on sites not doing enough to protect women and girls

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The online safety regulator said that as well as …

One in 12 children faces online sexual exploitation or abuse, new report warns
2 months, 1 week ago

One in 12 children faces online sexual exploitation or abuse, new report warns

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy One in 12 children around the world is exposed to online …

Call to protect women from online violence
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Call to protect women from online violence

China Daily  

LI MIN/CHINA DAILY The internet has revolutionized our lives, offering unprecedented opportunities for connection, learning and empowerment. Online, women and girls face harassment, stalking, image-based abuse and threats of violence — attacks that often spill into the real world with devastating consequences. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to online violence, as are women who rely upon digital platforms for their …

Study reveals disturbing reason men send unsolicited genital pictures - as half of UK women say they've received one
4 months ago

Study reveals disturbing reason men send unsolicited genital pictures - as half of UK women say they've received one

Daily Mail  

Experts studying the sexual harassment of women online have revealed some of the disturbing reasons why men send unsolicited pictures of their genitals. Commonly known as 'd*** pics' or 'cyberflashing', the advent of mobile cameras and public social media profiles has given men an easy way to send explicit images to women for their own perverse delight. The study also …

X accused of ‘lack of care’ for women and girls over blocking feature change
5 months, 1 week ago

X accused of ‘lack of care’ for women and girls over blocking feature change

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Allowing blocked users to continue to view content from the user that has blocked them will …

How the internet is helping women to expose toxic men
10 months, 3 weeks ago

How the internet is helping women to expose toxic men

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

Twitter worst social media platform for online threats against women, report finds
1 year ago

Twitter worst social media platform for online threats against women, report finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, Alex Davies-Jones MP, …

Pictures on the internet show dramatic gender bias, study finds
1 year, 1 month ago

Pictures on the internet show dramatic gender bias, study finds

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Pictures on the internet “reflect and exaggerate” the gender biases found in the …

Majority of boys aged 11-14 ‘exposed to online content that promotes misogyny’
1 year, 1 month ago

Majority of boys aged 11-14 ‘exposed to online content that promotes misogyny’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Every parent knows being online …

Too much social media linked to harmful behaviours in teenagers, study suggests
1 year, 3 months ago

Too much social media linked to harmful behaviours in teenagers, study suggests

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Frequent use …

Girls avoid internet due to abuse and bias, report warns
1 year, 6 months ago

Girls avoid internet due to abuse and bias, report warns

The Hindu  

Deeply entrenched gender norms, biases and perceptions are affecting the ability of girls and young women to use the internet, influencing their online activity and hurting their access to information and work, a new report has found. "This is resulting in girls setting up more protections and behaving more conservatively when connecting with others and sharing personal information online," said …

What women should do if they experience violence online
1 year, 6 months ago

What women should do if they experience violence online

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Black women more likely to be a victim of cyber flashing, landmark study reveals
1 year, 8 months ago

Black women more likely to be a victim of cyber flashing, landmark study reveals

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Almost half of Black respondents said they had been a victim of …

Proposed amendment to Online Safety Bill to address misogynistic abuse online
1 year, 10 months ago

Proposed amendment to Online Safety Bill to address misogynistic abuse online

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A proposed amendment to the Online Safety Bill would require social media …

Women and girls ‘traumatised’ by social media, warns Georgia Harrison
1 year, 11 months ago

Women and girls ‘traumatised’ by social media, warns Georgia Harrison

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Reality TV personality Georgia Harrison has said women and girls are …

8 in 10 Urban Indian Women Use Internet; Many Demand National Hotline Against Online Abuse, Fraud: Survey
2 years ago

8 in 10 Urban Indian Women Use Internet; Many Demand National Hotline Against Online Abuse, Fraud: Survey

News 18  

On International Women’s Day 2023, a survey has shown though 8 out of 10 women in India have access to the Internet, but most of them face online abuse, harassment, trolling and fraud. Of which, 46% favoured ‘Women Cyber Grievance’ hotline should be started by the government to respond to the complaints within 24 hours, 60% prioritised National Women Cyber …

Anti-LGBTQ hate thrives online, spurs fears of more violence
2 years, 3 months ago

Anti-LGBTQ hate thrives online, spurs fears of more violence

Associated Press  

In the days after a gunman killed five people at a gay nightclub in Colorado last month, much of social media lit up with the now familiar expressions of grief, mourning and disbelief. On Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, researchers and LGBTQ advocates have tracked an increase in hate speech and threats of violence directed at LGBTQ people, groups and events, …

Anti-LGBTQ hate thrives online, spurs fears of more violence
2 years, 3 months ago

Anti-LGBTQ hate thrives online, spurs fears of more violence

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, researchers and LGBTQ advocates …

Young LGBTQI+ people ‘nearly twice as likely’ to encounter hate speech online
2 years, 5 months ago

Young LGBTQI+ people ‘nearly twice as likely’ to encounter hate speech online

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than two-thirds of young people have experienced bullying and harassment …

Almost three-quarters of dating app users subjected to online sexual violence, study finds
2 years, 5 months ago

Almost three-quarters of dating app users subjected to online sexual violence, study finds

ABC  

Dan* would do all the things you'd expect before a Grindr date – brush his teeth, comb his hair – but he'd also turn on his location, send his friend a photo of the person he was with, their phone numbers, as well as a link to their social media platforms. Almost three-quarters of dating app users have been subjected …

Children urged to blow the whistle on harmful online content
2 years, 9 months ago

Children urged to blow the whistle on harmful online content

The Telegraph  

More children must blow the whistle on harmful content online, says Ofcom in its first campaign as the incoming regulator of social media firms. Campaign designed to empower young people Anna-Sophie Harling, online safety principal at Ofcom, said: “As we prepare to take on our new role as online safety regulator, we’re already working with video sites and apps to …

Women ‘no longer believe that social media firms will take down abuse’
2 years, 9 months ago

Women ‘no longer believe that social media firms will take down abuse’

The Telegraph  

Social media firms must make it easier to report misogyny, says Ofcom’s chief, after its study found 60 per cent of women have suffered harmful behaviour online including harassment and trolling in just a month. In an interview with The Telegraph, Dame Melanie Dawes, the watchdog’s chief executive, said the “shocking” abuse that women faced online was getting worse while …

Cyberflashing to be criminalised under new online safety bill
3 years ago

Cyberflashing to be criminalised under new online safety bill

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

One in five young women and girls ‘cyber-flashed’ in past year, study reveals
3 years, 1 month ago

One in five young women and girls ‘cyber-flashed’ in past year, study reveals

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than a fifth of girls and young women in the UK …

UN investigator: Gender equality in free speech is far off
3 years, 5 months ago

UN investigator: Gender equality in free speech is far off

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — An independent U.N. investigator warned Monday that despite the Nobel Peace Prize to courageous Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, “gender equality in freedom of expression remains a distant goal.” Irene Khan, the special investigator on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression, said that “women’s voices are being suppressed by laws, policies of the state …

Twitter, Google, Facebook pledge to protect women online
3 years, 8 months ago

Twitter, Google, Facebook pledge to protect women online

India TV News  

Tech firms like Twitter, Google, Facebook and TikTok have committed to tackle online abuse and enhance security for women on their respective platforms. "During our consultations on online gender-based violence and abuse, women expressed a need for greater control over who can comment or reply to their posts, as well as more choice over what they see online, when they …

Facebook, Google, TikTok and Twitter vow to tackle the abuse of women online
3 years, 8 months ago

Facebook, Google, TikTok and Twitter vow to tackle the abuse of women online

Daily Mail  

Facebook, Google, TikTok and Twitter have committed to improving their reporting systems and handing users more control over their experience as part of an initiative to tackle the abuse of women online. It comes as hundreds of prominent women around the world, including Diane Abbott, Emma Watson and Annie Lennox, have published an open letter urging the platforms to make …

As We Talk about Online Learning during COVID-19, Let’s Bridge the Digital Divide for Girls
3 years, 9 months ago

As We Talk about Online Learning during COVID-19, Let’s Bridge the Digital Divide for Girls

News 18  

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to linger around for a while now even as the vaccination drive gradually picks up pace. Major deterrents for girls to access digital technology are: Social Norms: Social norms control women’s autonomy and aspirations, impacting their access to technology and digital tools. More than 60 per cent adolescent girls reported that male members of the …

How a year of living almost exclusively online made the internet weird again
4 years ago

How a year of living almost exclusively online made the internet weird again

CNN  

New York CNN Business — On the audio-based app Clubhouse, people are gathering in virtual rooms to make whale moaning noises or to participate in silent meditation together. A year into the pandemic, we’ve seen both the dark and light sides of people spending more time online: Women, people of color and the LGBTQ community continue to face disproportionate harassment …

'Constantly Walking on Eggshells': Love, Tech and Online Abuse of Women in the Time of Coronavirus
4 years, 2 months ago

'Constantly Walking on Eggshells': Love, Tech and Online Abuse of Women in the Time of Coronavirus

News 18  

When Priya’s boyfriend posted a nude photo of her online, he told her it would give her a confidence boost by making her an object of desire for other men. “It’s a sobering fact because if you think about how much work is being done in terms of digital inclusion and getting people online,” said Neema Iyer, head of Uganda-based …

Women journalists are facing a growing threat online and offline
4 years, 4 months ago

Women journalists are facing a growing threat online and offline

Al Jazeera  

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it is important to throw light on a growing threat women journalists are facing today: The insidious problem of online violence is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences. In a global survey of 1,200 media workers, conducted by the International Center for Journalists and the United Nations Educational, …

Digital misogyny: Online abuse of women surges during COVID
4 years, 4 months ago

Digital misogyny: Online abuse of women surges during COVID

Al Jazeera  

Threatened with rape and exploited for porn, women are increasingly subjected to online aggression and abuse as pandemic drives more people online. Women bear the brunt of increasing digital abuse – threatened with rape and exploited for porn – as the coronavirus pandemic drives ever more people online, media experts said on Wednesday. “Thousands of memes have circulated on the …

‘Toxic’: Online abuse drives women, girls from social media
4 years, 5 months ago

‘Toxic’: Online abuse drives women, girls from social media

Al Jazeera  

New study finds nearly 60 percent of women and girls using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have suffered abuse. Online abuse is driving girls to quit social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with nearly 60 percent experiencing harassment, according to a new global study. One in five girls and young women has abandoned or cut down her use of …

Feminism has not ‘gone too far’. Online abuse against women is as harmful as ever
4 years, 7 months ago

Feminism has not ‘gone too far’. Online abuse against women is as harmful as ever

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy According to …

Rise in pre-teen girls tricked into online sex acts
5 years, 2 months ago

Rise in pre-teen girls tricked into online sex acts

Hindustan Times  

A growing number of girls as young as 11 are being tricked or coerced into sharing selfies of themselves being sexually abused online, a charity that removes such content said on Wednesday. The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation said it responded to more than 37,000 reports of online child sex abuse recorded by the victims themselves in the first 11 months …

Poverty and social media drive mental health problems that make ‘teenage girls significantly more likely to self-harm than boys’
5 years, 3 months ago

Poverty and social media drive mental health problems that make ‘teenage girls significantly more likely to self-harm than boys’

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Poverty and social media are key factors in mental health problems that …

How the online space for women is in a crisis and what needs to be done about it
6 years ago

How the online space for women is in a crisis and what needs to be done about it

Firstpost  

Every once in a while, there is the high optics drama about a woman celebrity or public persona who has been trolled, and then, predictably, the dust settles. The social burdens of digital encounters gone wrong are simply too huge; from corporal ‘punishment’ by family members for crossing the line to the dread of forced sex with known or unknown …

Pressure to be ‘perfect’ online damaging more than a third of young girls, study finds
7 years, 7 months ago

Pressure to be ‘perfect’ online damaging more than a third of young girls, study finds

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Large proportions of young women were found to experience negative emotions connected to their …

Sexist websites are ‘ruining lives’ of women on Instagram exposing them as 'escorts and prostitutes'
8 years, 2 months ago

Sexist websites are ‘ruining lives’ of women on Instagram exposing them as 'escorts and prostitutes'

The Independent  

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about …

The internet is a ‘playground for paedophiles’ NSPCC warns as number of children seeking help about abuse rises
8 years, 6 months ago

The internet is a ‘playground for paedophiles’ NSPCC warns as number of children seeking help about abuse rises

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The internet can be a “playground for paedophiles”, the NSPCC …

Survey reveals that 76 per cent of women under 30 have been harassed online
8 years, 6 months ago

Survey reveals that 76 per cent of women under 30 have been harassed online

Daily Mail  

A new Australian survey by tech company Norton has revealed that a startling 76 per cent of women under 30 have experienced harassment online. A study by Norton found that 76 per cent of women under 30 have experienced harassment online Sports journalist Erin Riley has received frequent abuse and harassment on Twitter After Ms Riley wrote about the AFL …

Reclaim the Internet campaign to tackle 'colossal' scale of online misogyny
8 years, 10 months ago

Reclaim the Internet campaign to tackle 'colossal' scale of online misogyny

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour’s Yvette Cooper will join her party colleague Jess Phillips, former Liberal Democrat MP …

Safer Internet Day: 'Quarter of teenagers' subjected to online trolls
9 years, 1 month ago

Safer Internet Day: 'Quarter of teenagers' subjected to online trolls

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Researchers defined online hate as behaviour targeting people or communities via the internet because of their gender, …

Harsh Reality: One in four kids sexually harassed by friends online
9 years, 2 months ago

Harsh Reality: One in four kids sexually harassed by friends online

India TV News  

New York: It's not just strangers who target children online. The study led by a Michigan State University cybercrime expert is one of the first to examine the factors of online child sexual victimisation. "This is not to downplay the danger of paedophiles acting online, but it does draw attention to the potential threat of child sexual victimisation by the …

Women reveal the worst things men have said to them online
9 years, 5 months ago

Women reveal the worst things men have said to them online

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One Reddit user described the “death and rape threats” she received from a man at 16, after …

Twitter's anti-abuse policy seems like a much-needed remedy for the sick world of online trolls
9 years, 11 months ago

Twitter's anti-abuse policy seems like a much-needed remedy for the sick world of online trolls

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Since the dawn of the digital age he has lumbered tragically through the online world's green pastures, …

Internet Risky for Self-Harming Teens, Study Finds
11 years, 4 months ago

Internet Risky for Self-Harming Teens, Study Finds

ABC News  

By Felecia Singh-Sumner, D.O. Rebecca Sedwick Suicide Part of 'Cool to Be Cruel' Cyber Culture Montgomery and his team examined 14 studies that looked at young people's use of Internet "forums" - in other words, virtual meeting places - as well as risk of self-harm, suicide, cyberbullying and depression. "There are sites such as online support groups that we would …

Facebook to crack the whip on pages and posts that glorify violence against women
11 years, 10 months ago

Facebook to crack the whip on pages and posts that glorify violence against women

Firstpost  

Facebook has given in to the widespread outrage over groups and pages on the site glorifying violence against women. We define harmful content as anything organising real world violence, theft, or property destruction, or that directly inflicts emotional distress on a specific private individual ” It added, “We work hard to remove hate speech quickly, however there are instances of …

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