Recent research unveiled at AI UK, the UK’s national showcase of data science and AI hosted by The Alan Turing Institute, exposes a stark reality: three-quarters (77%) of women refrain from expressing political opinions online due to fears of facing harmful online behaviours, including misogyny, trolling, threats, and harassment.

The revelation comes from a survey conducted among 2000 adults in the UK, and sheds light on the gender disparity in online experiences and the psychological impact of such encounters. 

“This research is crucial first step in determining the psychological burden that different genders suffer in response to harmful online content. This work provides valuable information about who is most at risk, where support should be directed, and what interventions are needed to ensure all members of society feel safe,” said  Dr. Jonathan Bright, head of online safety at The Alan Turing Institute.

Compounding the weight of this issue is the fact the UK will hold a general election this fall. The online sphere has grown to become the central ‘battleground’ for political discourse, with the Pew Research Center finding people are actually more comfortable discussing politics online than in person.

While both men and women reported encountering harmful content online at similar rates, women were disproportionately targeted by various forms of online abuse, including misogyny, cyberstalking, cyber-flashing, and image-based sexual abuse.

As such, women were found to be 96% more likely than men to report feeling sad or low as a result of an online experience and 47% more likely to suffer physical symptoms such as insomnia or headaches.

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The study also examines the use of safety tools online and indicates that women are more inclined to utilise such tools, including disabling location sharing, making accounts private, and limiting engagement with posts.

“Taking steps to ensure that all members of society feel safe and able to participate in the online space is essential for an equal society,” said Dr Florence Enock, senior research associate at The Alan Turing Institute and co-lead of the research paper.

“This is more important than ever as over half the world is due to vote in 2024 and much discourse around this will be expressed online. In order for women to fully engage politically they must feel safe doing so in both offline and online spaces.”