Trolling fears of women who talk politics online

THREE in four women feel uncomfortable expressing their political opinions online in fear they will be trolled.

They are also far more likely than men to be targeted by threats and harassment if they do so, the study found, and women are 96 per cent more likely to feel low after being online.

The findings were based on a survey of 2,000 adults carried out by The Alan Turing Institute – the UK’s hub for data science and artificial intelligence.

Co-author Dr Florence Enoch said: ‘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. This is more important than ever as about half of the world is due to vote [in national elections] this year and much discourse will be expressed online.

‘In order for women to fully engage politically they must feel safe doing so in both offline and online spaces.’

The analysis revealed that only 23 per cent of women felt comfortable expressing political views on the internet compared to 40 per cent of male users.

As well as being more likely than men to feel sad or low after being online, they were also 47 per cent more likely to be left with mental and physical ailments, such as insomnia or headaches. The institute discovered that women report using safety tools – such as disabling location sharing and switching their to ‘private’ – to a greater extent than men as well. Dr Jonathan Bright, head of online safety at the institute, said: ‘This research is a crucial first step in determining the psychological burden the 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.’

‘Essential for an equal society’