Social media is rife with distressing content for LGBTQ+ people (Picture: Getty Images)
LGBTQ+ young people are nearly twice as likely to experience online hate speech and harassment, an alarming report has found.
The Nominet Digital Youth Index, an annual report measuring young people’s digital access, found two-thirds of young LGBTQ+ Brits have been cyberbullied.
In a survey of more than 4,000 eight-to-25-year-olds, 52% of LGBTQ+ youth say they suffered online hate speech compared to 26% of their straight peers.
Nearly seven in 10 have seen distressing content online, most often on message board Reddit as well as social media platforms Twitter, TikTok and Tumblr.
LGBTQ+ youngsters living with a mental health condition or a disability are more likely to encounter distressing online content, with 39% exposed to self-harm-related content, falling to 15% for straight youth.
For young LGBTQ+ people, the report stated, the internet can be a source of ‘comfort’ where they can live their truths and meet others like them.
LGBTQ+ young people have mixed feelings at best over whether the internet is safe for them (Picture: Getty Images)
Two in five said their online life had a ‘positive impact’ on their relationships with friends.
But two in five LGBTQ+ young people also said logging online had a deeply negative impact on ‘people like them’.
The report states: ‘This suggests there needs to be a delicate balancing act that allows connection whilst mitigating the risks associated with life online.’
Dominic Arnall, chief executive of charity Just Like Us, told Metro.co.uk that the report laid bare the ‘tough reality’ of LGBTQ+ young people.
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After all, Arnall said, Nominet’s findings aren’t exactly new. Just Like Us published similar results last year that underscored how much of a ‘serious issue’ cyberbullying is.
Cyberbullying can take many forms. From posting threatening comments and spreading rumours to making fake social media accounts just to troll someone.
‘Very concerningly, many LGBT+ people reported that they haven’t told anyone they’re being bullied likely because they are afraid they will be judged for their gender or sexual orientation,’ he said.
Online bullying can increase anxiety, depression and difficulty in sleeping, the NHS says.
‘When schools give positive messaging about being LGBT+, through things like taking part in School Diversity Week, pupils are less likely to struggle with mental health and feel unsafe,’ Arnall added.
‘It creates an environment where young people are not bullied or tolerated but celebrated for being who they are.’
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Two-thirds of young LGBTQ+ Brits have been cyberbullied.