By Lauren Anderson
ABSTRACT
The evolution of Web 2.0 has drastically revolutionised the ways in which society functions, having an irreversible impact on the practices of modern activism (Storer & Rodriguez, 2020). Consequently, Feminism has undergone a shift that heavily features the use of social media and digital technologies, with this ‘fourth wave’ being explicitly defined by this use of the internet and online networks in Feminist activism (Schuster, 2013; Jackson, 2018; Pruchniewska, 2019). Online networks have facilitated fourth wave Feminism in a number of ways due to the affordances that these networks provide. Online networks have facilitated fourth wave Feminism through their ability to assist in the building of online Feminist networks at a globalised level previously unafforded in pre-digital times – ultimately aiding the Feminist movement and empowering the feminist community. Additionally, online networks provide an inclusive outlet for the expression and exploration of all Feminist identities, providing women the power to challenge oppressive patriarchal ideologies and systems of power through having agency over their own representations. Online networks have also facilitated the sharing of information regarding Feminist issues, and also have the ability to unify and mobilise the feminist community to initiate offline action to incite a move towards social change, as seen in movements such as #MeToo.
Digital technologies and Web 2.0 have significantly impacted all aspects of modern society, with online networks becoming crucial to modern activism. These technologies allow for “flexible, decentralised and individualised forms of activism”, completely reshaping the ways in which activism functions and its ability to incite social change (Kavada, 2018, p.108). Current social movements across the globe have demonstrated this ability and importance of online networks in facilitating social movements and advocating for social change, and according to Jackson (2018), there is a current focus on contemporary Feminist activism in the digital landscape that is “unprecedented” (p.32). Online networks have facilitated fourth wave Feminism through their ability to build Feminist communities in ways previously unafforded, provide an outlet for the expression of identities, facilitate the sharing of information regarding Feminist issues, and ultimately unify and mobilise Feminist communities to initiate social change on a global scale.
For the purpose of this argument, it is crucial to firstly define fourth wave Feminism, and how it is intrinsically linked to online networks. Storer and Rodriguez (2020) define social movements as “a group of individuals that collectively organise to challenge dominant social or political paradigms and re-envision a new world order” (p.163). Turley and Fisher (2018) define the Feminist movement as the “social movement to challenge the patriarchal and societal systems that service to oppress women, and to advocate for social justice and issues that affect women around the world” (p.128). The first Feminist movement begun nearly two-hundred year ago, advocating for women’s rights and social, economic, and political equality. This still remains the core of the Feminist ideology in the twenty-first century, however, Feminist practices have evolved throughout history, with the movement undergoing what Jouët (2018) terms as a “revival” within the last decade (p.133). The evolution of Web 2.0 has drastically revolutionised the ways in which society functions, having an irreversible impact on the practices of modern activism (Storer & Rodriguez, 2020). Consequently, Feminism has undergone a shift that heavily features the use of social media and digital technologies, with this ‘fourth wave’ being explicitly defined by this use of the internet and online networks in Feminist activism (Schuster, 2013; Jackson, 2018; Pruchniewska, 2019). The various affordances of online networks have shaped and developed the ways in which Feminists engage in online activism (Keller, 2019). As a result, the contemporary practice of Feminism is not uniform, but is instead an increasingly complex, constantly evolving, and diverse range of practices that centre around a wide range of Feminist issues ranging from cultural, societal, ethnic and sexual perspectives (Jackson, 2018).
Online networks have facilitated fourth wave Feminism through their ability to assist in the building of online Feminist networks at a globalised level previously unafforded in pre-digital times – ultimately aiding the Feminist movement and empowering the feminist community. The establishment and subsequent flourishment of Web 2.0 has meant that online networks have the ability to transcend geographic boundaries, allowing Feminists to build networks and communities at a local, national, and international level (Schuster, 2013). By increasing the scale of the Feminist movement through a global online network, it is able to draw more attention to the continuing presence of the systemic issues of sexism, oppression and injustice that permeate society (Matich, Ashman & Parsons, 2019). In addition to increasing the awareness of Feminism, online networks facilitate the empowerment of feminist communities via the creation of this globalised feminist network (Pruchniewska, 2019). Practices within feminist networks include creating online cultures of support for women, promoting and creating Feminist discourses that challenge patriarchal ones, and battling feminist issues such as rape culture and sexism (Jouët, 2018). These networks and communities function to validate women’s lived experiences, as they can identify that the isolated encounters of sexism, oppression and harassment they face are actually part of a larger systemic inequality (Keller, 2019; Pruchniewska, 2019). Most importantly, these online networks provide a less intimidating environment for women to be vulnerable and to share these lived experiences, creating an environment of support and a shared sense of emotion and identity among members (Schuster, 2013; Dobson, 2015; Kavada, 2018). Jackson (2018) found in her studies that the ability of online networks to facilitate the building of a shared sense of belonging within Feminist networks was highly valued among the women she interviewed, and stressed the importance of the creation of women-only spaces that allow them to safely navigate, explore, and express their Feminist views. Therefore, online networks have not only facilitated fourth wave feminism through the establishment of a globalised feminist network, but also provide women with access to networks that allow them to find a shared sense of purpose, belonging, and empowerment within the feminist movement.
Online networks provide an inclusive outlet for the expression and exploration of all Feminist identities that ultimately facilitate fourth wave Feminism by providing women the power to challenge oppressive patriarchal ideologies and systems of power. Online networks and their associated affordances allow women to express themselves in a way not possible offline, and construct their own identities in an unrestricted environment (Dobson, 2015; Jackson, 2018). Women, and young girls particularly, are able to utilise the various affordances that online networks and social media offer in order to portray their desired Feminist identity – such as sharing and creating informative and empowering imagery and content – and in doing so, challenge oppressive patriarchal ideologies (Schuster, 2013; Keller, 2019). As previously discussed, fourth wave Feminism is not only characterised by the use of online networks, but also by a shift towards inclusivity within the Feminist ideology (Jouët, 2018). Intersectionality has become a major defining aspect of contemporary fourth wave Feminism, as the affordances of online networks allow for the reshaping of Feminist discourses by those who were previously excluded, allowing more feminist identities to be expressed and shared with society (Jackson, 2018). This can be seen in groups such as Mwasi, an “afro-Feminist” group established in 2014 that fight for the end of racial discrimination against Black women. Groups such as Mwasi are able to utilise online networks to construct and share their own identities, thus promoting a political discourse about Black women that is self-produced by Black women (Jouët, 2018). Therefore, due to their accessibility to online networks, marginalised feminist populations are now able to engage with feminism on a visible and global platform (Jackson, 2018). By affording women this ability to express and explore their feminist identities, online networks give women authority over their own narratives and representations, placing them in a position of power that challenges the systems of oppression that seek to limit women’s agency (Matich, Ashman & Parsons, 2019). Overall, this demonstrates how online networks have facilitated the expansion of Feminism to be more inclusive, allowing marginalised feminist groups to share and express their identities and challenge the oppressive ideologies of the patriarchal system in the process.
Online networks have also facilitated the sharing of information regarding Feminist issues, thus facilitating the Feminist movement by raising awareness to call for social change. The primary function of online networks within feminist practices, as identified by Jackson (2018), is for the dissemination of information about feminism issues and ideologies, and the correction of misinformation regarding Feminism. Platform affordances of online networks such as spreadability and shareability allow content to move quickly across multiple platforms, making online networks a crucial tool in Feminist activism for raising awareness (Keller, 2019). Additionally, online networks offer a more democratised space for Feminists (Storer & Rodriguez, 2020), allowing them to use their own voices to challenge anti-feminist rhetoric, such as the notion that feminist simply ‘man-hating’ and unfeminine, and to share their experiences and knowledge surrounding feminist issues (Jackson, 2018). Online communities allow for a constant flow of information, allowing individuals to access, participate, share and educate, whilst ultimately increasing the awareness of Feminist issues (Kavada, 2018). These accessible, participatory, and sharable capabilities of online networks ultimately enable the Feminist movement to receive more exposure and gain responses from the greater global audience, thus raising awareness of the movement which can initiate social change (Turley & Fisher, 2018). Therefore, online networks facilitate fourth wave feminism through their ability to enable the sharing of information to raise awareness of feminist issues.
As seen in campaigns such as #MeToo, online networks have revolutionised Feminism through their ability to unify and mobilise the Feminist community on a global scale in order to raise awareness, initiate offline action, and strive to achieve social change. As previously discussed, online networks, particularly social media, have increased the visibility of Feminist issues and activism (Jackson, 2018). However, the most impactful role that online networks play in the practice of activism is the ability of these networks to function as organisational tools for activists, facilitating the “coordination of collective action” towards achieving social change (Kavada, 2018, p.108). Online networks facilitate faster mobilisation and “accelerated cycles of action” (Jouët, 2018, p.140) due to the spreadability and shareability of content that allows information to move quickly across multiple platforms (Keller, 2019). Therefore, the organisation of activist campaigns via online networks has surpassed traditional methods of social movements as they allow for a greater outreach, modes of advocacy and participation (Storer & Rodriguez, 2020, p.161), with these networks therefore becoming crucial to contemporary Feminist activism. The prevalence and popularity of social media and online networks in modern society means that these networks hold significant political potential as discussions in these spaces are often echoed within the public sphere and mainstream media – allowing for these issues to be positioned the forefront of public debate (Jouët, 2018; Pruchniewska, 2019). Revolutionary campaigns such as #MeToo have significantly highlighted how campaigns coordinated, created and shared through online networks have resulted in entire global movements that resulted in public discussion and action surrounding Feminist issues (Storer & Rodriguez, 2020). #MeToo conversations initially took place on Twitter, but then spread to other online networks as women gained support exposed the prevalence of the issues across many industries to society, ultimately encouraging people to take collective action offline (Pruchniewska, 2019). In the case of #MeToo – the networked affordance of hashtags allowed for the movement to be accessible, easily tracked, and able to be picked up by large, mainstream news organisations (Turley & Fisher, 2018), thus demonstrating how online networks are able to mobilise entire global communities for a united cause. Therefore, #MeToo is just but one example that demonstrates how fourth wave feminism has been facilitated through online networks, due to their ability to mobilise the global feminist community in a movement to fight for social change.
Practices of fourth wave Feminism in the online sphere include the building and development of an intersectional Feminist community at a global level, the exploration and expression of one’s feminist identity, the sharing of information regarding feminism and feminist issues, and the mobilisation of the feminist community to initiate offline action. These practices all function to raise awareness of feminism as a social movement, and to challenge patriarchal ideologies and systems of oppression. Online networks facilitate these practices, specifically through the network affordances they provide that enable the transcending of geographic boundaries, accessibility to marginalised communities, the sharing of information and content at a rapid rate, and the ability to construct and express one’s identity in a free and safe environment. Therefore, online networks have facilitated fourth wave Feminism through their ability to build a global Feminist network, provide an outlet for the expression of Feminist identities, facilitate the sharing of information and raising of awareness, and initiate social change through the mobilising of Feminist communities to participate in offline action.
REFERENCES
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Hi Lauren,
Great job on writing such an amazing piece, where the topic can normally be hard to actively engage with, but not in this case, l really found it easy to engage with your paper and to spot the points you were clearly trying to make. Online Activism can be achieved in a variety of ways, not just one, where there is a shared or common goal the users strive to achieve. I agree that online is a great way to support feminization, more so, say just equal rights and opportunities to they should have to succeed just like men, however, it does seem to be shifting constantly back and forth, but hopefully, in the future, its goal will be achieved. This also gives women the confidence to communicate and express their experiences, ideas, and stories with one another.
Thanks for such a great paper!!!
Thank you Gustavo!
Hey Lauren,
Well done on writing such an interesting and enjoyable paper! I really enjoyed reading about this topic. I love how you mention that online spaces can be used to challenge anti-feminist rhetoric, such as the notion that feminists are simply ‘man-hating’ and unfeminine. I think this is an extremely important part of this movement as these stereotypes about feminists do exist, and breaking these will help to allow more women to feel safe to share and express their feminist beliefs and ideologies. Do you believe that there is still more to be done to facilitate this movement? If so what things in particular?
Such a great topic, I really enjoyed this paper!
Hi Chloe! Thanks for reading my paper!
I think the normalisation of Feminist ideologies and Feminist discourses in everyday conversation is something that will greatly facilitate the movement. I think the more space Feminism takes up in the digital landscape, the more it will translate to and enter off-line conversations. From there we can begin to discuss and solve Feminist issues in a way that allows for open and inclusive discussions, and off-line action that eventuates into societal change. Furthermore, the normalisation of Feminist ideologies will also help to challenge and remove the stigma of Feminists as ‘man-hating’ that I referenced in my essay, as more people will be able to understand the basic foundations of the movement – thus removing the notion that Feminism is simply about man-hating.
Additionally, something that will assist this is the education that takes place on these online platforms. By educating one another about these issues and using the appropriate discourses, Feminists become equipped with the knowledge to be able to actually engage in meaningful and impactful discussions.
Hello Lauren!
As always your writing and structure is amazing and so well articulated, and I can really feel your passion towards this subject!
I do agree that social media has created a strong movement for feminist expression, and it is so inspiring to see campaigns and advocacies such as the #MeToo movement help other women and girls to voice their experiences and stories. Your referencing is spot on as well and really compliments your strong points, I really love the reference from Joust and Pruchniewska “networks hold significant political potential as discussions in these spaces are often echoed within the public sphere and mainstream media”, it is so important that we use social platforms for good and help educate the next generation that will only be more depended on social media.
However, it did get me thinking Do you think these movements and online advocacies take away from the innocents of social platforms? Because of the seriousness and political stance it creates? I’ve just been seeing it more and more especially on younger platforms such as Tik Tok, where young girls are voicing their serious opinions and experiences getting hate for it just because online spaces are open for anyones voice. Which in return can create an even more harmful platform to share stories?
Such an interesting read!!
Feel free to read my paper as well https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/05/10/lack-of-lgtbq-recognition-in-domestic-online-domestic-violence-advocacy/
Thank you
Tamlyn
Hey Tamlyn, thanks for reading my paper!
You’ve brought up an angle that I have not previously considered in relation to this topic. I have witnessed a lot of discussions regarding social media turning into a political space, to which there are positives and negatives. As mentioned in my essay, the ability of these platforms to be transformed into spaces of political agency allows movements like Feminism to gain traction. However, as you mentioned, these platforms largely take on a fun role for many of their users, and I do agree that the political transformation of these spaces can remove the innocence of them.
I think a possible solution to this could be the creation of alternative platforms that are used specifically for political and social activism, creating a dedicated space for these movements. The only downfall is that such a platform would only be used by those who are already invested in social change movements, and thus those who need to be educated would not be on the platform. It’s a difficult question you pose – its hard to strike a balance between the social media sphere as fun and as a space of agency.
Hi Lauren! I really enjoyed reading this thank you for sharing!
You write very concisely and your argument was very clear throughout. I particularly agree with your points surrounding the idea of how social media and these online networks has created a safe space and more relaxed environment for these issues to be brought to peoples attention in a mode they are more comfortable with. I also agree with your comments about the political power these platforms hold in terms of reaching the public and mainstream media.
I also liked your discussion about the potential and existing role that social media and these online networks have in regards to organisational practices. I had never previously thought of social medias discussions of these issues transform into physical practices in that way so thank you for bringing that to light.
I also agree with the fact that there is no box definition to feminism or its practices. It is such a multifaceted, evolving practice that has changed over the course of time and will continue to do so as these issues and ideologies are brought to light and questioned in our society.
I am curious to know more of your thoughts surrounding the extreme popularity of these discussions of feminism online such as the #MeToo movement, do you think it leaves females, particularly young girls too vulnerable to those who do not share the same views? Social media can be riddled with trolls, could you see the possible flip side of that coin in terms of there being such a thing as too much exposure?
Hi Bonnie! Thank you for reading my paper.
I do think that social media is becoming a space wherein users are becoming increasingly vulnerable; we are understanding that social media can become a place to talk about real issues rather than posting staged photos. I do agree that many Feminist issues are quite sensitive, and thus require a level of vulnerability that can be taken advantage of by people who may share opposing misogynistic views. This is why I think the creation of safe groups on social media, such as private Facebook groups, are crucial to helping this issue. These closed spaces still utilise the advantages of digital spaces, but provide women with more safety and security when discussing more sensitive topics. Additionally, the growth of the Feminist community and affordances of social platforms mean that individuals can support and protect one another from trolling etc.
You do raise a good point – there will always be trolls, however I hope (I am a positive person!) that the Feminist community is supportive enough to remove and take down any trolls on these platforms.
Hi Lauren,
I really enjoyed reading your paper! I particularly liked reading about the shift towards inclusivity and intersectionality that the fourth wave of feminism was able to bring about.
Your argument overall holds a very optimistic view of the affordances of online networks and the power they have to facilitate and grow the forth wave feminist movement. I agree with you, without online networks and social media, we would not have a fourth wave. However, I want to put forward a limitation:
The fourth wave of feminism is hosted on monopolistic companies that profit immensely from users and popular hashtags and threads. Feminist awareness raising and debates are intrinsically linked to digital capitalism and the silicon valley where sexism and discrimination against women has been well reported on and appears to be rife. Do you think this has had, or will have any effect on fourth wave feminism?
It is a difficult question, but interesting to consider when we are looking at online networks.
This is something that came up when I was researching for my paper on a similar subject. My focus was on the power of feminist hashtags. If you have time, I would love to hear your thoughts:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/25/the-effectiveness-of-feminist-hashtags-such-as-metoo-on-empowering-women-mobilising-protests-and-enacting-political-and-societal-change/
Thanks,
Elissa
Hi Elissa, thank you for taking the time to read my paper!
You do pose an interesting and difficult question! To be honest with you, I’ve never considered this issue, so thank you for bringing it to my attention. I do think that this will have an effect on fourth wave feminism, as you have so clearly pointed out the very mechanism by which this movement occurs is one that, at its core, has deep issues of sexism and discrimination. A utopian solution to this would be the creation of alternative platforms that are developed and run by members of the Feminist community, however this comes with many other challenges and issues.
I think digital capitalism is such a large issue that affects many, many areas – and thus it’s dismantling will require a large restructuring of society. I hope that fourth wave Feminism does play a role in this, however I think it will be the accumulative effort of many other movements that will achieve this, as it is such a large and underlying issue in society.
Overall I think this is an issue that is not discussed about often in these digital Feminist spaces, so I would love to see these discussions forming as it is a very important issue.
Thank you for bringing up such an interesting point! I would love to know what your thoughts on this issue are.
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for your response! Sorry throw you such a curly question, but I love your answer!
Another part of the answer would be to break up these monopolistic companies – something which US regulators have started to flag in recent years. However Amazon, Apple, Facebook (et al) Google and Microsoft are so powerful and all consuming it is difficult to imagine a world in which this might happen.
I also agree this issue is something that is not really discussed in digital feminist spaces. This is probably because social media platforms have become so ubiquitous and part of our everyday lives that they (and all the ir underlying problems) have become invisible.
It is a very complex situation and there are no easy answers. Thanks for the discussion!
Cheers,
Elissa
Hi Elissa,
Thanks! It was a difficult question but I’m glad you asked it as it gave me a lot to think about.
I definitely agree that large monopolistic companies need to be broken down or at least held accountable and regulated to stop their dominant control over much of society. You raise an excellent point about the almost invisible nature of social media platforms in terms of their underlying issues and the larger effects that these issues have on society.
It is a complex issue, as the mechanisms for which the discussions about the dismantling of these systems and organisations occur are the very mechanisms that are controlled by these monopolistic organisations.
Thank you for such a thought provoking conversation!
Hi Lauren,
This paper was amazing! The way you have structured it and provided the information made for a very compelling and interesting read. I agree with your point on how through the use of online platforms previous marginalized groups of feminine identities now have a way to share and express their identities with society.
You also mention in your paper that online networks have allowed for “faster mobilisation” and action to occur, due to how quick information can spread. What are your thoughts in regards to the potential ‘harmful’ nature of this? (Just to clarify, by ‘harmful’ I mean along the lines of the potential spread of misinformation). Overall, it was a great paper and you should be very proud of it and yourself :))
Also, feel free to check out my paper. It’s on a different topic but has some overlaps in terms of the utilisation of social media affordances to campaign topics: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/26/stopasianhate-facebook-and-instagram-aid-in-advocacy-and-the-development-of-asian-identity/
Hi Terina! Thank you so much for reading my paper!
I agree with your point that the ability to quickly mobilise large groups does pose a potential danger when faced with misinformation and disinformation. I think that one of the many issues within this is that many users do not have the media literacy to be able to critically question and assess whether the information they are presented with is true and accurate. I think education about how to read the media and critically interpret media is something that needs to be pushed so that audiences can recognise when information is false, which can ultimately reduce the danger of rapid-spreading misinformation.
Hi Lauren,
I found your paper very enjoyable, thank you for sharing it! I agree that social media has enhanced feminist communities by facilitating conversations between geographically isolated individuals and creating a safe space for women to openly express themselves. This has been important to help women find support and validation for their experiences with oppression, sexism, and harassment. I believe online communities have also established a greater sense of solidarity and togetherness in feminist communities, which is empowering community members to ‘fight back’ and promote change. And this is certainly spurring a fourth wave of feminism.
However, I recently read an article on how slacktivism (when people support a cause by performing simple measures but are not truly engaged or devoted to making a change) can hinder advocacy movements (Gilmore, 2014). Do you think that social media is stifling feminist movements by allowing people to engage with content with very little effort? For example, by allowing people to simply ‘like’ a post to show their support. I’d love to hear your views.
I have written about a similar subject, how Instagram celebrities encourage the formation of feminist identities. Please check it out if you have time! Here’s the link: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/28/instagram-celebrities-leading-a-new-wave-of-feminism/#comment-450
Thanks again for the great read!
Gilmore, S. (2014, November 11). The problem with #slacktivism. Macleans. https://www.macleans.ca/society/the-real-problem-with-slacktivism/
Hi Rebekah!
Whilst slacktivism dose pose some issues, I don’t think that social media is stifling Feminist movements all when you consider everything social media has done to facilitate the movement.
I’ve responded to a similar question below, but my opinion in regards to slacktivism is that there is a problem in assuming that because something requires little effort, it does not have a large impact on an individual. The lowered barriers and participatory culture that social media fosters allows more people to easily interact with content, and in this case with the Feminist movement. Some people might call this slacktivism, however the affordances of these platforms are intrinsically built to lower the effort required to interact, making it easy for users.
You should be really proud of this paper! It was structured nicely, used a nice range of supporting vocabulary and some really interesting points regarding the rise in online feminism. Learning about the history of feminism (that it first came about around 200 years ago) then progressing to a movement that only happened a few years ago was really eye-opening. I think it’s really important that society is aware of when the movement was established and realise that it is not in fact as suddenly developed as they think – only due to fourth wave has it become so magnified.
I agree with the ideology that feminism is constantly evolving through these online networks – especially through the female-only spaces such as chatboxes or Facebook groups. I also think that rise in fourth-wave feminism has changed some cultural-norms (e.g. women in the middle east and more restricted countries becoming more aware of the movements), allowing them to recognise oppression in their society and feel empowered to stand against it. What are your thoughts on this?
I was also fascinated by the discussion of feminist identity and its connections to the online networks. To what level do you think that online networks influence how a woman views herself within society? Considering that these communities share self-expression and individual opinions, it would be interesting to hear your take on this as some can be accused of ‘just agreeing’ with another user.
This leads into my paper ‘The Influence of Slacktivism on Feminist Movements’ where I explore a different perspective on the activism behind the feminist movements like the #metoo one you too discussed. Let me know your thoughts as it’d be great to get another view on my interpretation.
Link to my paper: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/27/the-influence-of-slacktivism-on-feminist-movements/
Hi Kira! Thank you for taking the time to read my paper, and thank you for your comments!
I agree with your comment that this fourth wave of Feminism has helped to challenge oppressive cultural norms that are held in some areas of the world. The use of social media as a central defining mechanism for fourth-wave Feminism allows the creation of a global network of Feminists – which is why more women feel empowered to take a stand as they know they have a global community to support them. I think in some countries there is still a lot of work to be done, especially in areas where there is heavy media censorship. However, we are still seeing movements emerging from these very regions; movements against domestic violence against women in Turkey used social media and hashtags to spread awareness about the increasing number of deaths caused by domestic violence in their country.
I think online Feminist networks provide a safe space for debate, rather than simply agreeing with one another, as to fully dive into Feminism requires a lot of intellectual discussion and dissection of institutions of power and societal values.
In relation to slacktivism, it can be a tough one. I believe there lies a difficulty in determining how much impact simple interactions can have based on the context of the content and the user (e.g. a single post could have a huge impact on a user, but that impact can be reduced to the quantification of a single like or share). I think the relationship between online networks and how women view themselves in society is one that is internal, or evident in the offline space. For example, one of the main pillars of fourth-wave Feminism is the challenging of traditional patriarchal standards of beauty. Companies such as SavagexFenty that have used their social media to share images of people of all shapes, colours, races, and gender identities being empowered – showing that all of them are valued and are beautiful. This allows women to recognise that they too can feel empowered in their identity and place within society.
I know I didn’t quite respond to all your points but didn’t want to drag on – let me know what you think!
I think this is the best paper I’ve read so far, you expressed yourself so clearly and the research you used to back up your points was so informative. Feminism is such an important topic to have discussions about, and prior to reading your paper I hadn’t put a whole lot of thought into social media’s impact upon this specific social movement. I think social media gives women and girls a space to express themselves and share their experiences, and doing so online is far less daunting than doing so face-to-face, particularly when dealing with sensitive topics like sexual assault and domestic violence. I think feminist activists on social media have been so impactful in shifting society away from the “stay quiet and deal with it, that’s just the way things are” narrative that was common among older generations. Women and girls deserve better, and online feminism is an important tool in the process of challenging and denouncing the patriarchy. Thanks for all of your insights, genuinely so impressed with your work.
Thank you Silas!
You are right, social media has allowed Feminism to move into a dominant position within the public sphere, challenging historical societal values that acted to suppress Feminist issues. Once you realise how much social media has provided in terms of allowing women a safe space and afforded agency, it is impossible to un-see it! Many of the papers I’ve discussed in my essay continually refer to how, as you’ve mentioned, social media provides a less daunting environment to discuss confronting issues such as sexism and domestic violence. It is due to the affordances of social media spaces such as lowered barriers to participation that allow Feminist issues to be seen and heard, allowing women feel as though they have a safe platform that elevates their voices and opinions on these issues. I hope that these online spaces will continue to evolve and that Feminists utilise these evolving spaces to further develop the process of challenging the patriarchy and movement towards social change.
Hi Lauren,
this was such an interesting read!
Your point on how digital technologies allow users to be unique in their performance of activism is very insightful and I agree with you on this argument. Activism online can be done in so many ways while having a common goal in mind and it helps individuals to share to their own personal experiences. As you mention developing women-only spaces, I totally agree with you since there is so much to unpack about women’s circumstances and this has so much educational potential for society and the women themselves.
Despite being a key factor for change, there is still a sense of incomprehension towards feminism and it is often demonized online. What is your opinion on this and what do you think can be done to educate others?
Also, feel free to read my paper where I also discuss the #MeToo movement among others as I explore how Social commentary YouTube is one of the numerous ways online networks aid societal change.
I think the issue you raise in regards to the negative view or misconception of Feminism within modern society is a very relevant one. I think that this issue is multifaceted, factoring in the platform, the users, and the context.
Platforms play a pivotal role in setting public agenda through their algorithms that prioritise certain content, and their ability to censor content misinformation and disinformation. Platforms have the responsibility to monitor and remove content that functions to demonise Feminism and is rooted within misogyny.
I think that as ordinary users continue to act as Feminist agents in the online sphere, the proliferation of Feminist content across mainstream media can function to educate those who have a lack of comprehension in regards to Feminism, and challenge stigmas that demonise feminism. However, this is reliant on the ability of Feminist issues to be regarded as important enough to warrant attention from the mainstream media, and the continued effort of Feminist agents in the online environment.
Lastly, context plays a large role in regards to how a user navigates the online environment. The ability of the user to read the media and understand the conflicts at play can vary largely across social media, which is something that should be understood by platforms, users, and content creators.
I hope that over time Feminism becomes something that is commonly spoken about in mainstream media; ultimately reducing stigmas and introducing a Feminist dialogue that is accessible and comprehensive in regards Feminist issues.