The survey by Girlguiding found that 59% of 11- to 21-year-old girls have concerns around image and online identity manipulation through AI.
Half of girls surveyed want to see social media firms take more action to protect them from such threats, as well as abuse they face while using their platforms.
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The survey shows such action by social media firms is needed as switching off from their platforms is not an option for most girls.
Among the almost 3,000 girls surveyed, 57% said they were reluctant to take a break from social media in fear of "missing out".
This is despite online connections becoming less important in their lives. One in three girls aged 11 to 21 said they have “strong connections online”, down 7% over the last four years.
Also, just under three in five girls aged between seven and 21 say they feel lonely, the survey found.
The extent of abuse faced by girls online is also revealed in the survey.
Just under three in five 13- to 21-year-olds say they have seen or experienced sexual harassment online.
Almost nine in 10 girls aged 11 to 21 say they experience sexism in their daily lives, with seven in 10 saying this is online. Almost half of girls in this age group say sexism and misogyny is making them feel less safe, more than double those who felt unsafe when asked a decade ago.
Two in five say sexism erodes their confidence, up from less than a third 10 years ago.
Among those aged between seven and 10 who were surveyed, more than two thirds believe they are expected to behave or think differently to boys of their age, up by 10% since 2014.
“It’s devastating to see girls feel less confident about themselves and their futures,” said Girlguiding chief executive Angela Salt.
“Sexism continues to be pervasive, leaving many girls feeling vulnerable and unsafe.”
Girlguiding advocate Jiya, who is 17, details how sexism online is impacting her life and those of her friends.
“In my daily life, I see how the constant pressure to meet unrealistic beauty standards and the normalisation of sexism leaves girls feeling vulnerable and unsupported,” she said.
“Being online all the time amplifies this. While we're ‘more connected’, we're also more exposed to judgment and comparison - through body shaming, sexist jokes, online harassment, and objectification.
“This fuels loneliness and erodes our confidence, which only makes it harder to feel positive about the future.”
