Over 70% of young people feel more confident than ever sharing their views online

Racism, Black Lives Matter and Bullying top list of causes young people care about the most 

With the Black Lives Matter movement gaining worldwide attention in 2020, how have young people’s thoughts changed when voicing their views online? A new study reveals that young people feel more confident than ever before to speak up about causes they are passionate about online.

Community organisation Conscious Youth has surveyed young people aged between 11 and 25 to gather insight into how confident they feel posting on social media about causes they care about and what issues actually matter to them.

A staggering 71% of those surveyed said they feel more confident now than ever before posting about causes they are passionate about on social media, with over half (55%) saying they regularly share their opinions online.

When asked why they feel more confident, three quarters (75%) of young people said they see other people sharing their views and that it makes them feel empowered to share theirs. Half of those polled (50%) think they should be able to post about whatever they want on their social media accounts, and 47% believe it’s important to voice opinions online to help the causes you care about.

On the reverse side, just over half (51%) said they’re hesitant to share opinions online due to fears of spreading false information, with 32% saying they don’t want others to know their personal views. Worries about their posts affecting them in the future is another concern for young people (30%).

When asked about which platform they feel most comfortable sharing opinions on, Snapchat came out on top with 36%, closely followed by Instagram (35%). Rising app Tik Tok took 15% of the vote, and surprisingly only 8% of young people said they feel comfortable sharing their opinion on Twitter and only 6% on Facebook. 

Interestingly, Racism (91%), Black Lives Matter (83%) and Bullying (69%) came out on top as the most important issues to young people in 2021. Other causes that made the top ten include Poverty (60%), Feminism (54%) and LGBTQ+ Rights (51%). Surprisingly, the least prioritised issue with only 37% of the vote was Climate Change.

Sophie Simpson, Co-Founder and CEO of Conscious Youth said: “It’s inspiring to see so many young people standing up for the causes they care about and being aware of the platforms they have. 

“I think that the movements caused by the death of George Floyd and the murder of Sarah Everard in the past 12 months have made the younger generation so much more empowered to speak up and share their opinions and experiences. Social Media platforms have completely changed the way social movements form and grow.”

Serena Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO of Conscious Youth added: “Social media is a vital part of life for many young people, it’s inspiring to see them using these platforms to express their opinions on the issues which impact them. Youth activism is surely on the rise and we are yet to see more young leaders driving change in our communities.”

Methodology: Survey conducted by Conscious Youth in June 2021 – 11 to 25 year olds