For Safer Internet Day 2016, 1,512 young people aged 13-18 years took part in an online survey conducted by ResearchBods to explore young people’s attitudes, experiences and responses to positives and negatives online, particularly exploring the role of the internet in facilitating rights and promoting empowerment, while also potentially facilitating online hate.

The findings demonstrate both the positive and negative side of the internet, and the role that young people are playing in helping to create a kinder and more inclusive internet.

The majority of young people (94%) said that they believe no one should be targeted with online hate because of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.

An estimated 2.1 million young people have taken positive action online in the last year to show support for
targeted groups, with liking or sharing a positive post or page and changing their profile picture being the most
popular forms of positive online action.

Young people recognise the positive ways the internet can help us to grow understanding and respect, with around 3 in 4 saying that the internet helps them understand different people’s views and beliefs (76%). However, the majority (86%) also felt that the internet makes it easy for people to be mean.