Australians’ negative online experiences 2022
More Australian adults are being exposed to online harms since eSafety last conducted its national adult survey in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial increases in screen time for young and old alike. More adults are going online for work, entertainment, social connection and to access services, and this has increased the risk of exposure to online harms.
The 2022 national survey of Australian adults aged 18 to 65 found that:
- 75% of Australians had experienced something negative online in 2022, up from 58% in 2019
- just under one in three adults said their negative online experiences impacted their emotional and mental wellbeing, and about one in six said it impacted their physical health.
Top level findings
About the research
This research into attitudes and experiences of Australian adults was commissioned by eSafety and conducted by WhereTo Research. The top-line results are based on Australians aged 18 to 65, n=4737 and covers the 12-month period to November 2022.
The research forms part of a larger national survey of 5308 Australians aged 18 years and older. Several reports are planned for release in 2023 including themed reports on topics such as the metaverse, online hate speech and perpetrator behaviour.