We must protect our children from the AI algorithms leading them to odious online content

Navigating the online world is a part of everyday life for parents and children today, and while there are great social, educational and cultural benefits, there are still risks.

The online world evolves fast. We know parents are making every effort to keep children safe and not exposed to inappropriate content, but it’s not always possible to have oversight of everything your child may see online.

In-built safety features and parental controls have been added to many online platforms and the Online Safety Act is now law, but they cannot solve everything. And so, we must not take our foot off the gas when it comes to creating a safer internet for our children.

Online safety is a complex issue, and the debate has shifted over the years. One trend we’re monitoring is the growth in misogynistic and violent content that young boys are being gradually exposed to.

We recently surveyed boys aged 11-14 to explore this issue further and, worryingly, found that one in 10 have been exposed to harmful content within 60 seconds of being online, with powerful AI algorithms feeding them content that promotes misogyny (69%) or violence (79%). For 59% of boys taking part in the study, this exposure was happening after completely innocent and unrelated searches.

When powered by AI, some algorithms can behave like a friend, suggesting content they think might be liked. But the reality is, these algorithms are at times exposing boys to harmful content within minutes, with the child not easily able to distinguish what is appropriate and what isn’t. For example, Childnet explains that if a young person looks at a lot of content about animals, an algorithm could start to suggest content showing animal cruelty or neglect, to them.

A child may be curious and watch a video until the end, which then leads to more content of a similar nature being surfaced in their feed. This regular consumption can influence a young person’s point of view and desensitise them to strong themes, especially if this content has a lot of likes and comments.

What’s even more worrying is that what boys are seeing online has a strong influence on their behaviour in real life, with almost half (42%) of parents saying they have witnessed their son saying something inappropriate that they think may have been picked up online. These comments can be negative about themselves and people around them, with 27% talking negatively about their own body image or 22% degrading women and girls.

We also surveyed teachers to understand the impact in the classroom. Seven in 10 teachers (70%) said they have been subjected to disrespectful language from male pupils in school settings, 81% said this behaviour negatively impacted female students, and 79% said the lack of respect for female teachers negatively impacted boys listening and learning.

It’s clear we’re at a critical juncture when it comes to AI algorithms and as this technology becomes more and more embedded in our daily lives, we all need to take responsibility for children’s safety.

As a mum myself, I know the online world can feel everchanging and hard to navigate, and while we do what we can to protect our children, some algorithms are very sophisticated. As a leader in a telco company, I’m pleased Vodafone is supporting Global Action Plan in its petition to keep safety by design a priority in the Online Safety Act. Doing so helps ensure tech companies prioritise keeping users safe in the design of their platforms. Anyone who is passionate about this issue can join us in signing the petition to campaign for a safer internet for all.

To raise awareness of the issue and bring the conversation into the mainstream, we worked with Global Action Plan to create a powerful new film, “The Rise of the Aggro-rithm” which brings this issue to life and shows how easy it is for young boys to become gradually desensitised to harmful and misogynistic content.