Feminist scholars argue that 'New media' is masculine and hence reinforces structural hierarchies rather than reconfiguring them. Comment.

Understanding the Feminist Critique of New Media

Feminist scholarship on technology, drawing from fields like Science and Technology Studies (STS) and critical media studies, posits that technology is not value-neutral. Instead, it is ‘gendered’ – shaped by the social, cultural, and political contexts in which it is developed and used. This gendering manifests in several ways within new media:

• Masculine Design & Development: Historically, the tech industry has been overwhelmingly dominated by men. This demographic imbalance influences the design of platforms, algorithms, and interfaces, often prioritizing male perspectives and needs.
• Algorithmic Bias: Algorithms used by search engines, social media platforms, and other online services are trained on data that reflects existing societal biases. This can lead to discriminatory outcomes, such as reinforcing gender stereotypes in search results or perpetuating harmful representations of women.
• Online Harassment & Violence Against Women: New media platforms have become breeding grounds for online harassment, cyberstalking, and revenge porn, disproportionately targeting women and marginalized genders. This creates a hostile online environment that silences women’s voices and limits their participation.
• The Digital Divide: Unequal access to technology and digital literacy skills, often along gender lines (particularly in developing countries), exacerbates existing inequalities and limits women’s opportunities for economic and social advancement.

Reinforcing Structural Hierarchies: Specific Examples

The argument that new media reinforces hierarchies isn’t merely theoretical. Several concrete examples illustrate this point:

• Gaming Culture: Online gaming communities are often characterized by toxic masculinity and sexism, with female gamers facing harassment and discrimination. This reinforces the stereotype of gaming as a male domain and discourages women’s participation.
• Social Media Representation: Studies have shown that women are often portrayed in stereotypical roles on social media, emphasizing appearance and domesticity, while men are more frequently depicted in positions of power and authority. (Source: Pew Research Center, 2020 - knowledge cutoff)
• AI & Facial Recognition: Facial recognition technology has been shown to be less accurate in identifying women and people of color, leading to potential misidentification and discriminatory outcomes. (Buolamwini & Gebru, 2018)
• Online Labour Platforms: While offering flexibility, online labour platforms often exploit workers, with women disproportionately represented in low-paying, precarious jobs with limited protections.

Counter-Arguments and Nuances

It’s important to acknowledge that new media also offers opportunities for feminist activism and empowerment. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been used to organize protests, raise awareness about gender inequality, and provide support networks for women. The #MeToo movement, for example, demonstrated the power of social media to amplify marginalized voices and challenge patriarchal structures. However, even these positive uses are often constrained by the underlying biases of the platforms themselves. The algorithmic amplification of certain voices while suppressing others can limit the reach and impact of feminist activism.

The Role of Platform Governance

The responsibility for addressing these issues lies not only with individual users but also with the platforms themselves. Effective platform governance is crucial for mitigating online harassment, combating algorithmic bias, and promoting inclusivity. This includes implementing robust content moderation policies, investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ensuring transparency in algorithmic decision-making. The Digital Services Act (DSA) of the European Union (2022) is a recent example of legislation attempting to address these concerns, though its effectiveness remains to be seen.