For Better or for Worse for Females?: A Content Analysis of Gender-Motivated Comments on Social Media Platforms

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.200826.248How to use a DOI?

Keywords

gender inequality, social media, anonymity, female vlogger, online comments

Abstract

This research investigates the function of social media as a virtual space that facilitates different expressions of social norms relating to gender. To do this, I conducted a content analysis of the comments below 200 vlogs (or video blogs) produced by female vloggers on two social media platforms- YouTube and Bilibili. From my study, I discovered that in online platforms, gender takes shape in three different forms: emphasis on women’s physicality, expressions of sexual desire, and a focus on women in female roles. These patterns illustrate that (1) social media can facilitate continued articulations of gender ideologies and inequality and (2) the anonymity features of internet users assure that online communities provide a platform for users to engage in expressions of gender inequality and gender violence. This research contributes to gender studies by extending analysis of gender to other social spaces, such as the internet. Through this research, I offer an empirical study to show how the anonymity of social media protects commenters from being punished and therefore, underscores the significance of different social space that has emerged with technology. Lastly, this research offers insight into certain deficiencies of rules governing the online community and provides valuable information to enact policy reforms that monitor cyberbullying and create a safer virtual experience for users.

Copyright

© 2020, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Xintong Zhou
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/08/28
TI  - For Better or for Worse for Females?: A Content Analysis of Gender-Motivated Comments on Social Media Platforms
BT  - Proceedings of the 2020 4th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2020)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1192
EP  - 1199
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200826.248
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.200826.248
ID  - Zhou2020
ER  -