Research published by Internet Matters into girls’ online experiences raises concerns that some teenagers and their parents are normalising inappropriate online messages and disturbing content.

Internet Matters has published a report, So standard it’s not noteworthy: Teenage girls’ experiences of harm online, which reveals both the negative and some positive aspects of girls’ online experiences, and which warns that some girls and parents are often normalising inappropriate online comments, messages, and images from males.

The report highlights the dilemma faced by many girls – while they are drawn to the benefits of the online world, they’re also confronted with its downsides such as unwanted comments or male attention. Research by Internet Matters published earlier this year in its Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World Index 2024 found that almost half (48%) of 15–16-year-old girls have been contacted by a stranger, a significant increase from 3 in 10 in the previous year.

The report says some parents have come to accept men harassing girls online as ‘standard’ – something that is particularly troubling given parents are often children’s main source of support around online safety issues.