AI algorithms exposing young boys to harmful content online

New research from Vodafone UK shows that more than two thirds (69%) of boys aged 11-14 have been exposed to online content promoting misogyny and other harmful views. The research, released to mark Safer Internet Day 2024, shows that young boys are exposed to harmful content within 60 seconds of being online.

More than half (52%) of young boys have engaged with or are aware of content from influencers from the 'manosphere', a group of online communities which create and promote negative, misogynistic; with 59 percent led to this content through unrelated and innocent searches due to AI algorithms. More than 1 in 5 (22%) parents have seen a gradual change in the language used by their sons to speak about girls and women, and 70 percent teachers have seen an increase in sexist language in the classroom in the last year.

To help families have online safety discussions about various subjects, including AI, Vodafone and the NSPCC have developed a new toolkit. It has also launched a new campaign, in partnership with Global Action Plan, to show tween and teen boys in the UK are being harmed by algorithms exposing them to an increasing stream of negative content over time. This gradually desensitises them to the negative views they are being exposed to. They have created a film, called 'The Rise of the Aggro-rithm', which tells the story of a young boy called Olly. The film shows how his views are negatively impacted by his 'new friend AI', which has negative and narrow views about women, how to be masculine and other topics.

The campaign calls for regulators to prioritise 'safety by design' when implementing the Online Safety Act. This would require tech firms to protect users from harmful content by building safety into the design of their services/products.