Online Risks Result in Real-World Distrust, Other Problems, Microsoft Poll Shows

Following negative interactions online, adults and teens said they "became less trusting of others in the real world" and suffered other consequences such as stress and sleep deprivation, Microsoft said in releasing preliminary poll results Thursday. The survey of people ages 13 to 74 across 14 countries, including the U.S., found that about two-thirds of respondents fell victim to at least one of 17 different online risks such as unwanted contact or various forms of harassment, Chief Online Safety Officer Jacqueline Beauchere wrote in a blog post. Microsoft will release full results Feb. 7, Safer Internet Day 2017, she said, but it wanted to present some preliminary data after the U.S presidential elections. Adults are more inclined than youths to distrust people online and more reluctant to participate in blogs and online forums, she added. "On a positive note, 29 percent of adults said they tried to be more constructive in their criticism of others after a negative online situation. That compares to one-quarter of teens." Youths, however, were more likely to experience social and academic losses after encountering an online risk.