By Jamison O’Malley
It is no secret that content depicting extreme or shocking ideas and events reel in the highest engagement numbers online, but what happens when this extreme content is actually pushing misogynistic ideas, and what impact do algorithms have in this perpetuation of violence against women and girls?
A number of studies have investigated the growing influence of social media on people’s ideology, particularly in young men where online spaces such as the “manosphere” have become a hot topic. In general, there has been a rise in the amount of misogynistic, anti-feminist, and generally extremist content being pushed to boys, even when they do not actively seek it out. But why is this happening? Simply put, algorithms reward engagement, they do not care whether that engagement is positive or negative, just that it is high, which can lead to a trickle down effect.
Here’s a hypothetical example:
A big event happens, let’s say a highly televised trial regarding the assault of a woman that gains a lot of attention online.
Because this topic is trending, influencers and commentators begin making content about it, some with more controversial or misogynistic opinions, sparking debate.
The social media algorithms see there are more comments/engagement on this post due to its more extreme or controversial take, and decide to push it to a larger audience.
In turn, the creators see videos where they are spreading extreme/misogynistic ideas are rewarded, and continue to make this type of content.
As the algorithm continues to push this content, more people are introduced to extreme ideologies. Whether they interact positively or negatively, the algorithms continue to feed it to them.
As this continues, these ideas can begin to bleed into the consumers daily life. Influencers are increasingly including misogynistic thought in their content, framing themselves as “masculinity influencers” and positioning themselves as role models to young men online without realizing their potential impacts. This leaves young men more vulnerable to extremist ideology, as misogyny is often used as a gateway drug into these communities.
So what can be done to combat the increasing amount of misogynistic content online? One of the main things is to hold media companies responsible for the content they push. Instead of focusing on engagement based algorithms, they should work to factor in considerations on the type of content they push and take accountability for promoting extreme and misogynistic ideologies. There should be work towards greater protections and policing in online spaces to protect women from this form of harassment. You can also do your part, reporting content that pushes these ideologies and continuing to raise awareness for digital gender based violence.
Sources:
Social media algorithms amplify misogynistic content to teens
