- New data released by Mental Health Foundation found widespread experiences of harmful online content among young people, and low levels of satisfaction with online safety education
- Radio 1 DJ, Broadcaster, Entrepreneur, and advocate for the benefits of open and honest friendship for our mental health, Jamie Laing, backs calls for schools to be given better resources for teaching online safety.
Young people need more support in schools to embrace positive online communities and reject negative ones, the Mental Health Foundation has said, in calls which have been backed by Radio 1 star and advocate for the benefits of friendship for mental health, Jamie Laing.
The call comes as new research, released on Monday 12 May to mark Mental Health Awareness Week and its theme of ‘community’, highlighted how witnessing harmful content online has become a commonplace experience for young people. The survey [see note 1 to editors] of 2157 young people across the UK, conducted by Savanta, found that most people aged 16 – 21 have experienced online content that they found harmful or disturbing, with 68% of young people reporting this.
However, the charity is also highlighting that membership of healthy online communities can bring significant mental health benefits for young people through friendship and connection. Around three quarters (76%) of young people reported feeling very or somewhat connected with others through online communities, and two thirds (63%) said they’d been in an online community which had made them feel more confident or supported in who they are.
The research also found incredibly high levels of access to online communities. The vast majority of young people (98%) access at least one online community every day – with more than half doing so several times an hour (57%), and one in three (32%) said they’re very connected to close friends as part of these communities. However, one in five (21%) young people report they’d made no meaningful connections and felt not very or not at all connected with others through their online communities - something which the Mental Health Foundation says needs to change.
To support young people to navigate online communities in a healthy way and build connection, while helping them avoid harmful content, the Mental Health Foundation and Jamie are calling for the government to update its guidance for schools and make sure teachers have access to good quality, up-to-date knowledge and resources so that they can teach effectively.
Backing the calls, Jamie Laing said:
“So many young people spend hours online every day, but still feel totally disconnected - and that’s heartbreaking. The internet should be a place where you feel seen, supported, and safe.
“I’ve seen first-hand how powerful online communities can be when they’re built with kindness and care. That’s why I’m backing the Mental Health Foundation’s call for better online safety and more support for young people to find the kind of spaces that lift them up, not drag them down.”
The polling revealed one in ten young people (10%) received no online safety education whatsoever. Among those who have, nearly three in five (58%) found it was not helpful enough or not helpful at all.
While the public waits for online safety lessons to be improved, the Mental Health Foundation has produced a set of useful guidance for young people and parents to better navigate online communities, and identify those that are healthy, rather than harmful.
Commenting on the findings, Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at Mental Health Foundation, said:
“With online communities so ingrained into everyday life, we urgently need to see more done in schools to help young people avoid negative online spaces, and instead embrace the positive online communities we know benefit mental health. By building community online, we can all feel a little more connected, even in times when we might be physically alone.
“Lots of young people are already finding connection online that is making them feel better about themselves, but with one in five still lacking meaningful online connections, and such a high exposure to negative online content, young people clearly need a bit more support to embrace the positive and reject the negative communities. This starts with the government helping schools to deliver better online safety education, and making sure young people are prepared for a life that is increasingly online.”
Notes to editors
- This polling was conducted by Savanta on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation. Savanta interviewed a nationally representative audience of those aged 16-21 years old of 2,157 individuals between 9 and 24 April 2025. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Data was weighted to be representative of the UK population by age, sex, region and social grade. Full data available on request.
- Online communities were defined by the Mental Health Foundation for the purposes of this research as “any online spaces where you engage with others - whether you're reading, watching, chatting, or posting.”