It has long been established that the Internet is not as safe as we want it to be, and Microsoft’s Annual Digital Civility Index (DCI) somewhat proves that right.
The survey which examines people’s attitudes and perceptions about online behaviour and interactions, was conducted in 23 countries around the world and included Malaysia this year.
About 56% of the Malaysian population has been exposed to or encountered some form of online risk and 66% stated that family members of friends experienced it too.
The scary part? Some of the victims actually know the perpetrators. About 29% of Malaysians state that they know the perpetrator personally as a family member, friend or acquaintance.
The survey also shows that familiarity with a perpetrator in real life also has adverse consequences. The 48% of Malaysians who have met their perpetrator in real life have lost sleep as a result and are also twice as likely to become depressed.
At least 30% of those surveyed have experienced unwanted sexting (received or sending), while 28% of them have been exposed to online harassment.
The results of the survey are based on interviews with teens aged 13 to 17 and adults aged 18 to 74 who were asked about their experiences and encounters with 20 different online risks. These online risks are then categorised within four umbrellas – behavioural risk such as online harassment, intrusive risk such as unwanted contact, sexual risk such as unwanted sexting and reputational risk such as doxing.
Malaysians have also experienced trolling, been exposed to hoax, scam and/or a fraud, and have even came into unwanted contact from others.
The survey shows that teenagers are the most exposed to online risks, and they are the least likely to pause before replying to something they disagree with and are the most likely to stand up for someone else alongside Millennials (aged 18 to 34).
This in turn makes teenagers more likely to become depressed and stressed compared to adults.
Malaysians who have experienced harassment online often become less trusting of people online (49%) and offline (33%). These consequences were higher for females and teens than males and adults.
Malaysians were less likely to stand up for themselves or others before replying to something they disagreed with compared with the global averages.
The survey isn’t all bad though. The study shows that most Malaysian have reported that they treat other people with respect and dignity, and the Millennials have also been identified as having the highest civil behaviour as defined by the Microsoft Digital Civility Challenge announced in 2017.
Microsoft hopes that by using the data provided in the DCI, Internet users will be more united and begin playing a part in creating a better Internet for everyone, in particular the youngest users out there.
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