M·E·L Research Commissioned by Ofcom to Explore Adult Experiences of Online Safety
We are pleased to announce that M·E·L Research has been appointed by Ofcom to deliver a new study into how adults in the UK encounter and respond to online content relating to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders (S/SH/ED).
The internet is now central to how people connect, communicate and navigate the world. Alongside its benefits, however, there are serious risks – particularly when people come across content that may encourage or normalise harmful behaviours.
While there is an established body of evidence about the experiences of children and young people with these kinds of content (S/SH/ED), the adult population remains under-researched. This study seeks to widen our understanding by exploring how adults encounter such content (whether intentionally or by accident), how they process and respond to it, and their experiences of platform level tools.
“This project is a vital step in building understanding of adults’ experience of potentially harmful or sensitive online content, and their experience of the platform levels tool available to them. By speaking directly to people with lived experience, we can provide Ofcom with the detailed evidence it needs to shape regulation and user empowerment duties under the Online Safety Act. It also connects closely to our wider work in this space – from our SPARK survey on suicide prevention, to research for the Bar Standards Board and Legal Services Consumer Panel – meaning we bring not only methodological expertise, but a deep appreciation of how online environments can both empower and endanger users.”
Our approach will centre on in-depth, trauma-informed interviews with adults from across the UK, ensuring we speak to a diverse cross-section of adults.. We will also take care to reflect variation in how different groups experience and respond to content, including those who may be more vulnerable or underserved in digital safety policy and including some particularly at risk groups. The project will provide Ofcom with a robust and inclusive evidence base to inform its responsibilities under the Online Safety Act.
“Delivering this work with sensitivity and care is absolutely central to our approach. We have a strong track record of working on complex and emotionally charged subjects – for Barnardo’s, Help for Heroes, and through our evaluation of stigma and discrimination in everyday life for clients such as the Welsh Government or Co-PoWER. This project with Ofcom is a continuation of that commitment: to ensure that lived experience is at the heart of evidence, and that findings are used to shape safer and more inclusive services.”
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