South West youngsters left "annoyed, attacked and scared" by misleading online content

Half of young people are encountering misleading content online on a daily basis.

To mark Safer Internet Day (Tuesday 9th February), new research from the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) reveals the new challenges young people face in identifying misleading content; at a time when being online is more important than ever.

The coronavirus pandemic means internet has become a fundamental part of young people's education, with many taking part in online lessons.

Whilst 73% feel that being online has helped them through the difficult pandemic - the research also found that over half of young people are encountering more misleading content online than the previous year, with almost half of those surveyed encountering it at least once a day, and a quarter up to 2-5 times a day (24%).

FALLING FOR SCAMS

The research highlighted how likely young people are to fall for misleading online interactions, with more than a third saying they would be likely to fall for things like gaming scams, hidden sponsored ads, filtered / edited imagery and stories from unofficial sources.

Almost two thirds of young people have had friend requests from people they don't know.

One in four young people admit to sharing online content from an unverified or untrustworthy source.

When asked why, 15% of young people either did it 'just for fun' or without being aware of how misleading or 'fake' the content was. 56% also have seen influencers, bloggers, celebrities etc share misleading content (such as fake news) online.

This Safer Internet Day aims to unite millions of young people, schools and organisations across the UK, to spark conversations around online safety and what to trust online.

Will Gardner OBE - Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre said:

"We can see young children getting confused about whether what they're hearing and seeing - particularly around COVID and the pandemic - is actually true, and it can lead to some really heightened sense of anxiety.

"One child that contacted us via Childline said she is constantly reading through articles about coronavirus and the pandemic and she doesn't really know what's real anymore because there's so much information. They kind of feel that they can't get away from it - making them feel a bit scared, whilst feeling a bit powerless about what to do about it."

KEEPING SAFE

Here are some tips from the NSPCC this Safer Internet Day:

• Be questionable; ask questions about what you see and whether it could be fake

• Check the source; have a look and see if it is from a source that you trust

• Speak to someone you trust; if young people have shared something with misleading/incorrect content themselves and feel embarrassed about it; or to talk about something that confuses them

• Think twice; in taking part in any challenges you see online. Some can encourage dangerous behaviour

• Young people can get help and advice about a wide range of issues through Childline, by calling 0800 1111, or talk to a counsellor online.

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• south west
• NSPCC
• safer internet day
• Young people