ASU: MCO 435

Social movements have been taken online with hashtags and virtual communities that pertain specifically to those with similar life experiences and opinions such as the #MeToo Movement, #MAGA, and the development of Black Twitter. These movements prompt a response from both those who agree and those who disagree – sparking online debate and conversation. In the United States some are questioning what action can be taken when these debates get out of hand in the digital world; what kinds of statements are merely personally offensive and what statements are categorized as hate speech? What is the standard procedure when harassment turns into threats of life or property? And if the harmed individuals do speak out against their offenders, who is equipped to help them and what action can be reasonably taken against such offenses? These are some of the questions that can be raised and considered when addressing the topic of online policing.

This is a video interview from 2018 with instructor Sharmee who teaches at a private school in Bangladesh.  She mentions how one of her students conducted a survey among her female peers and 90% reported being harassed or bullied in an online space.  Sharmee explains that women repeatedly get more pushback for what they share online compared to men.

Garance Franke-Ruta, Senior Politics Editor 2017

I am interested to know if the development of “Femvertizing” is overwhelming the Instagram feeds of young women who are drawn more to the aesthetic and trendiness of feminism instead of tangible social change.

Typical gender roles and expectations aren’t necessarily extinguished when interactions are moved online.  In many ways, men and women use social media differently and engage with one another in different ways.  This article highlights a few studies which were done pertaining to how the sexes use social media and their contrasting experiences online.