Hate Speech: Half of all young people have experienced digital violence

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Photo: DADO RUVIC / REUTERS

Digital violence can take many forms: discriminatory comments, cyberbullying, hate speech, digital blackmail or unsolicited dick pics.

A new EU-wide survey now shows that almost a third of all respondents have been personally affected by one form or another of digital violence.

The representative study, which was available to SPIEGEL before its publication on Thursday, was carried out on behalf of the “Hate Aid” organization and the “The Landecker Digital Justice Movement” foundation.

To this end, a total of 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 80 in the EU countries were surveyed on the subject.

There are therefore clear differences between the age groups.

The younger the person affected, the more often they have experienced forms of online hatred.

"Every second person in the youngest age group (18-35 years) has already been personally affected by digital violence."

The number of young adults who have at least observed digital violence is significantly higher: "92 percent of men and 90 percent of women in the 18 to 35 age group have already witnessed multiple times," it says Investigation.

"Thus, for the young generation, digital violence has not only become a reality, but a sad normality," the study says.

In the 36 to 64 age group, around a quarter of those surveyed were affected by digital violence, and around one in ten of those between 65 and 80 years of age.

Men were affected a few percentage points more often than women in all age groups.

Criticism of social media groups

Most of the respondents were critical of the measures taken by social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok.

More than eight out of ten fully or partially agreed with the statement that these companies are not doing enough to protect users from digital violence.

Hate Aid commissioned the survey against the background of the current negotiations on the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The European legislative package is intended to regulate digital companies more effectively and more efficiently.

However, many details are still unclear (read more details on the EU plans here.)

Politicians in the EU finally have to »finally act and lay down clear rules for platforms and basic user rights in the Digital Services Act«, commented Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Managing Director of Hate Aid, on the results of the investigation.