Staggering levels of online misogyny is driving young people, particularly women, away from social media. This is according to new polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK and carried out by Savanta. Through the testimony of more than 3,000 Gen Z respondents, the findings paint a damning picture of the misogyny plaguing spaces meant for creativity and connection.
It underscores the urgent need for tech platforms to overhaul their policies and take concrete steps toward ensuring safer digital communities.
Toxic tech: social media rife with misogyny
The polling, Toxic Tech: How Misogyny is Shaping Gen Z’s Online Experience is taken from the testimony of 3,024 Gen Z respondents from a nationally representative sample of the UK population.
An overwhelming 73% of Gen Z social media users have witnessed misogynistic content online, with half encountering it on a weekly basis. Moreover, the problem is only getting worse. The polling found that 70% believe misogynistic and divisive language has increased on social media.
Alarmingly, 55% expressed concerns about seeing misogynistic content. On top of this, less than half (49%) feel that social media is a safe space.
The polling also uncovers the shocking forms of online harassment faced by Gen Z women, including:
- More than half (53%) receiving inappropriate emojis (e.g., 🍆💦) on their posts and photos
- 44% receiving unsolicited explicit images
- 43% being body-shamed
- 40% subjected to unwanted sexually suggestive comments
- 32% experiencing hate speech
- 27% reporting online stalking
TikTok: the worst offender
Among social media platforms, TikTok is seen as the worst offender. Specifically, 70% of respondents reported encountering misogynistic content on TikTok, rising to 80% for women. Instagram followed at 61%, then Twitter/X with 37%, YouTube 31%, and Facebook 30%.
One young person said:
As a woman it’s something women experience everyday. I no longer post on social media due to the constant hate and negativity. Even seeing the comments/hate directed towards somebody else is soul destroying.
Another Gen Z respondent said:
It’s so ingrained in society, that many people don’t recognise it when it’s happening – which is sad. The hatred of women is everywhere and dictates the way men behave online.
Marginalised groups and intersectional risks
Disabled Gen Z women are twice as likely as non-disabled women to spend more than ten hours a day on social media (11% vs 6%)
Three in ten disabled women 29% who have experienced online misogyny, reported that they had received threats of violence online. By comparison, this was the case for one in five of non-disabled people (18%).
Racially minoritised Gen Z women who have experienced online misogyny, are more likely to have experienced hate speech than their white counterparts (38 vs 31%).
The mental health toll and coping strategies
Online misogyny is having a severe impact on mental health:
- 55% of those who have experienced online misogyny have blocked users in response to abusive content.
- 44% of Gen Z women who had experienced online misogyny in the UK report negative mental health impacts from exposure to misogynistic content.
- 35% have switched their accounts to private.
- 30% have taken screenshots as evidence of abuse received
- 22% avoid posting certain types of content.
- 20% have avoided or left platforms altogether.
The polling identified that 62% of Gen Z believe misogyny on social media mirrors real-world sexism. However, there’s a significant gender split on this belief with Gen Z women (71%) more likely to agree than Gen Z men (51%).
One Gen Z man said:
Anything online is a joke and people who cry about others rage baiting need a helmet.
Another Gen Z man said:
It isn’t that deep. It’s all a laugh.
Whereas a Gen Z woman said:
Online misogyny often reflects real life attitudes, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Who Gen Z think is fuelling the problem
Over 60% of Gen Z attributed the rise in misogynistic language online to statements or actions by political leaders.
Meanwhile, 55% believed TikTok actively contributes to the problem. Notably, 61% of Gen Z women specifically pointed to the platform’s role in fuelling online misogyny.
Public figures and influencers were also cited as driving divisive narratives, from a list of high-profile social media users:
- Men most frequently named Andrew Tate (50%) as a key source of online misogyny
- Women pointed to Donald Trump (58%) as a major contributor
- 61% believe the rhetoric and actions of political leaders is fueling online toxicity
- 47% blame statements and actions by tech leaders for worsening the problem
In the last month, 57% of Gen Z men have reported they’ve seen content from Musk, 55% from Trump, and 41% from Andrew Tate.
More women than men had seen content from Donald Trump (60% against 55%)
What needs to change?
Gen Z is demanding urgent action from social media platforms and policymakers.
The polling found that 65% believe tech leaders have a responsibility to combat online misogyny, with concrete measures such as:
- Harsher penalties for offenders (39%)
- Stronger reporting and blocking features (37%)
- Stronger content moderation and quicker removal of misogynistic content (33%)
- Tougher rules and consequences (30%)
However, as well as pointing to the role of tech giants, 54% of Gen Z (and 46% of Gen Z men) think all men have either a lot, or full responsibility for addressing misogyny on social media.
Time for action from Big Tech
Recent changes in content moderation policies on Meta and X have sparked concerns that key safeguards against hate speech and abuse are being dismantled. In a bid to champion unfettered expression, these platforms have relaxed rules that once limited harmful content, creating an environment where abusive rhetoric can proliferate. This shift raises pressing questions about the balance between free speech and protecting users from online harm.
In the case of TikTok despite having robust policies in place, enforcement remains inconsistent. TikTok’s algorithm, for instance, can inadvertently amplify harmful narratives, exposing a predominantly young audience to misogynistic content.
These failures not only compromise user safety but also contribute to a normalisation of misogyny in digital spaces, leaving many women vulnerable to abuse.
Amnesty is calling on social media companies to take urgent action to address the epidemic of online misogyny by:
- Strengthening content moderation policies to swiftly remove misogynistic content.
- Implementing more robust reporting mechanisms for victims of online abuse.
- Holding offenders accountable through enforcing meaningful penalties.
- Increasing transparency on platform efforts to curb harmful content.
Online misogyny ‘does real world harm’
Amnesty International UK’s Gender Justice Programme director Chiara Capraro said:
This polling paints a deeply troubling picture of the digital world young people are forced to navigate.
Tech companies continue to prioritise profit over people’s safety and the result is a barrage of misogynistic content which deeply affects young people’s online experience. A toxic ‘bro’ culture is driving many young women away from social media altogether.
Gen Z are being inundated by a deluge of online misogyny, and these findings should be a stark wake-up call for tech leaders, who have either ignored the abuse their users are experiencing or, in some cases, actively contributed to letting it rip.
Social media should be a space for creativity, expression, and connection—not a hostile environment rife with harassment and hate. It’s time for tech companies to step up and take responsibility for the safety of their users. Women’s rights are human rights and online misogyny does real world harm.
She added:
A toxic ‘bro’ culture is driving many young women away from social media altogether.
Empowering change through music and community
Despite the toxic environment, 40% of women said they have found support from other women through social media, and 36% of those who had found support in this way felt empowered to speak out more as a result.
This underscores the resilience of online communities that push back against hate and create safer spaces.
To spark dialogue and drive meaningful action, on Thursday 20 March, Amnesty International UK hosted an event. Mahalia Presents: Change the Record was a collaboration between acclaimed R&B singer Mahalia and Amnesty. Mahalia personally curated this one-of-a-kind event which featured some of the most exciting artists in the UK using their artistry to highlight that women’s rights are human rights and inspire audiences to stand together for change.
Speaking of her own experience and involvement, Mahalia said:
As an artist and as a woman, I see first-hand the ways misogyny plays out online. Like many women, I regularly get unwanted comments on my appearance, and I see vulgar name calling and attempts to silence and intimidate women just being themselves.
Social media should be a place where we lift each other up, not a space that forces women to shrink themselves or hide.
This research is a wake-up call—but more importantly, it’s a call to action. Women’s rights are human rights, and I stand with Amnesty in demanding we change the record.
Amnesty is encouraging young people to stand up to misogyny whenever they encounter it and to help #changetherecord on misogyny.
Featured image via the Canary
