New research commissioned by the UK Safer Internet Centre reveals how the internet is a fundamental part of young people’s identity, helping them find their own voice offline.
The research marks Safer Internet Day, which will see millions of young people, schools, and organisations across the UK explore online safety and the theme of ‘free to be me’.
It comes as over 1,600 supporters in the UK, including schools, charities, police services, industry bodies, businesses, Government ministers, Premier League football clubs and celebrities such as Natasha Devon, Georgie Barrat, Jeremy Gilley and James McVey, join young people to ignite conversations and host events that promote the safe, responsible and positive use of technology.
Almost half (49%) of young people aged 8-17 said that what they do and see online contributes to their identity, making up an essential part of who they are offline. 54% admit they would feel lost, confused, or as if they’d lost a part of themselves if their online accounts were taken away. 38% said it was easier to be themselves online than offline, seeing it as a safe space to explore and grow.
Through support and access to information, young people are using the internet to understand their identity. Because of the internet, 51% have felt better emotionally or less alone, 47% have gained confidence to be themselves offline, and 31% have found support they couldn’t find offline. It also plays a crucial role in building acceptance of others’ identities, as 46% say they understand other people’s identities better because of things they’ve seen online.
Online experiences are informing and inspiring a generation, with 34% of 8-17s saying that, in the last month, the internet has inspired them to take action about a cause. 43% say it makes them feel their voices matter and over half (52%) have sent a supportive message to someone who was being bullied because they are seen as ‘different’.
Young people are using the internet to explore and creatively shape their identities. 61% say it’s important that platforms let them experiment with identity and 76% believe that, when creating online personas, it’s important that it is fun. When considering what makes up an online identity, 66% say it’s their own thoughts and ideas, showing young people are feeling empowered to shape their own identity.
However, external pressures exist. Nearly half (47%) think it’s important to ‘fit in’ online and 61% think the internet puts pressure on people to come across as perfect. 70% of young people say the internet makes it easy for people to be mean and 62% are careful about what they share because they’ve seen people be mean.
Almost a third of young people have created more than one account on the same platform, with many doing this to curate their identity in positive and creative ways. However, 2 in 5 (40%) are doing so in order to change how they are seen online and 36% because someone had been mean to them.
The research draws on the experiences of different groups of young people, including disabled, BAME, or LGBT+ young people, revealing how much experiences can vary. 54% of disabled young people said it was easier to be themselves online than offline, compared with 38% of non-disabled young people; over a half (52%) also said in the last month they have found people like them they couldn’t find offline. Disabled (47%) and BAME young people (43%) are also more likely to be inspired by the internet to take action about a cause in comparison to 34% overall.
Some of these groups of young people are also being targeted disproportionately. A quarter (25%) of 13-17-year olds say they have been targeted with online hate in the last month because of their gender, sexuality, race, religion, disability or gender identity, with 45% of disabled teens and 32% of BAME teens reporting this.
The research also reveals parents and carers are concerned about their children’s online experiences, with 65% of parents worrying that the internet is a place of negativity and 39% thinking the internet has more influence on their child than they do. Yet children are wanting to reach out to their parents, with over half (51%) wanting to talk to them about their online identities.
Will Gardner OBE, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, says:
“We must help young people on this journey by acknowledging the pressures, challenges and limits the internet also brings. We can do this by listening to them and starting conversations about our online lives. We know talking works; as a result of Safer Internet Day last year, 78% of young people felt more confident about what to do if they were worried about something online.
“It is so important for all of us – adults, businesses, and government – to support young people to harness the internet for good and make it a place where everyone is free to be themselves.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
“Used safely, the internet can play an important role in young people’s development. But social media companies must be held accountable for protecting their users from harms on their platforms, including grooming, hate crime, and terrorist content.
That is exactly why we are working on legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.
We thank the UK Safer Internet Centre for their vital work on this issue and fully support Safer Internet Day.”
