Newsroom
Nearly four in ten internet users in Cyprus reported seeing hostile or degrading online content during the past three months, according to new figures released by Eurostat.
The data show that 38.98% of internet users in Cyprus encountered offensive messages targeting individuals or groups. Content linked to political or social issues was the most frequently reported category, affecting 31.52% of users. Messages related to sexual orientation accounted for 29.10%, while 26.2% involved race or ethnic origin.
Unlike the overall European Union trend, the highest rate of exposure in Cyprus was recorded among people aged 25 to 34, where almost half of respondents, 49.47%, said they had seen hostile or derogatory content online. Among those aged 16 to 24, the figure stood at 35.87%, while 38.76% of people aged 45 to 54 reported similar experiences.
Across the EU, younger users were the most likely to come across such material. Eurostat found that 54% of internet users aged 25 to 34 and 53.7% of those aged 16 to 24 had seen hostile content directed at specific individuals or groups.
Exposure generally declined with age across the bloc. The proportion fell to 46.4% among those aged 35 to 44, 38.9% for people aged 45 to 54, 32.8% for the 55 to 64 age group and 28.1% among users aged 65 to 74.
Eurostat said young people remain particularly vulnerable to online hostility, placing special attention on users aged 16 to 24. Within that group, young women reported higher levels of exposure than young men, at 57.2% and 50.4% respectively.
Differences between young women and men were recorded across every category of hostile content. Political and social issues, along with race and ethnicity, were among the most common subjects. Hostile content linked to political or social views was reported by 42.5% of young women and 39.3% of young men, while messages related to race or ethnic background were seen by 38.2% and 35.6% respectively.
The largest gender gaps appeared in content concerning sexual orientation, gender and disability. Among young women, 37.8% reported seeing hostile messages connected to sexual orientation, compared with 32.6% of young men. Exposure to content related to gender was reported by 30.9% of women and 24.9% of men, while messages concerning disability were reported by 23% and 19.3% respectively.
