Story at a glance
- Teenagers are some of the most avid social media users.
- Many view the platforms as a way to connect with others and foster creativity and support.
- However, for some, online activity comes with the threat of bullying and harassment.
Almost half of American teenagers have experienced some form of bullying or harassment online, new survey results show, and a large majority think elected officials and social media sites aren’t doing enough to stop it.
Of the 46 percent of teens who’ve experienced cyberbullying, physical appearance served as a relatively common reason behind the harassment, while older teen girls were more likely to report being targeted overall and for their appearance.
Findings are based on a Pew Research Center survey conducted April-May 2022.
Offensive name calling was the most frequently reported form of cyberbullying, with 32 percent of teens saying they’ve experienced this form of harassment. Over 20 percent said false rumors have been spread about them online and 17 percent say they have received explicit pictures they didn’t ask for.
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Nearly 30 percent said they’ve experienced multiple types of cyberbullying, while older teens between the ages 15 to 17 were more likely to experience any form than their younger counterparts.
Teens are some of the most avid social media users, with YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram among the most popular apps in this age group. However, the new data show those who are online almost constantly were more likely to have ever been harassed and face multiple forms of online abuse than their less active peers.
Although teens themselves view social media as a largely positive space that can provide connection, creativity and support, some of the negative effects are felt most acutely by teen girls.
Older teen girls were more likely than younger girls or boys of any age to have experienced false rumor spreading, constant online monitoring, and cyberbullying overall, the report authors wrote.
“Some 54 [percent] of girls ages 15 to 17 have experienced at least one of the six cyberbullying behaviors, while 44 [percent] of 15- to 17-year-old boys and 41 [percent] of boys and girls ages 13 to 14 say the same,” they added. Older teen girls are also more likely to experience multiple forms of harassment.
Teen girls tend to be more self-conscious than their male peers and are more likely to develop mood disorders, meaning the heightened harassment they face online could take a toll on their mental health.
Household income and race also played a role in the type of harassment experienced by youth. For example, Hispanic teens were more likely than White or Black teens to report they’ve been asked constantly where they are, what they’re doing or who they’re with by someone other than a parent, data show.
Teens in households with a yearly income of less than $30,000 were twice as likely as those in higher income households to say they’ve been physically threatened online.
Apart from physical appearance, teens also said they’ve been targeted based on gender, race or ethnicity, and, to a lesser extent, sexual orientation and political views.
Over 20 percent of Black teens reported they were targeted because of their race or ethnicity compared with 11 percent of Hispanic teens and 4 percent of white teens. Black or Hispanic teens were also more likely to say cyberbullying is a major problem for people their age than their white peers.
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