From Online Political Posting to Mansplaining: The Gender Gap and Social Media in Political Discussion

Abstract

The gender dynamics of political discussion are important. These dynamics shape who shares their political views and how they share their views and reactions to these views. Using representative survey data from the United States and the UK, we investigate how social media platforms shape the gender dynamics of political posting. We find that on Facebook, gender does not predict political posting, whereas on Twitter, the gender gap is more pronounced. We also examine the concept of “mansplaining”—a term used to describe a patronizing form of communication directed at women by men. Firstly, we find that posting about political issues to Twitter is more likely to result in being an explainee but also being an explainer of political issues. Furthermore, posting to Twitter increases the likelihood of men reporting having been accused of mansplaining and women reporting having experienced it. In general, more than half of the women say they have experienced mansplaining, especially those who are younger, well educated, and left-leaning. We argue that the possibility of being mansplained affects who is willing to post their opinions online, and as such, caution should be exercised when using digital trace data to represent public opinion.

Gender and Online Politics: Digital Media as Friend and Foe in Times of Change

“…However, this volume also includes examples of digital media being used as a tool to silence women through uncivil comments and harassment related to one’s gender (Nadim & Fladmoe, in press ; Southern & Harmer, in press ). The constant fear of harassment shapes women’s, more so than men’s, willingness to engage in political discussion online, particularly on social media ( Koc-Michalska, Schiffrin, Lopez, Boulianne, & Bimber, in press ; Nadim & Fladmoe, in press ). However, this may not manifest in all cultural contexts (Van Duyn, Peacock, & Stroud, in press ).…”

“…However, this may not manifest in all cultural contexts (Van Duyn, Peacock, & Stroud, in press ). Nonetheless, these gender differences in online expression have implications on the use of social media as a proxy for public opinion (Koc-Michalska et al, in press ) and for the quality of the public sphere (Nadim & Fladmoe, in press ; Van Duyn et al, in press ).…”

“…Women are less likely to post online about politics, compared to men (Koc-Michalska et al, in press ; Van Duyn et al, in press ). Looking at online political engagement more broadly, women are less likely to participate, compared to men (Heger & Hoffmann, in press ; Wagner, Gainous, & Abbott, in press ).…”

“…These submissions highlight the structural factors that might explain lower levels of political expression and participation, including cultural norms and inequalities in domestic responsibilities (Wagner et al, in press ) as well as inequalities in political representation and political institutions (Van Duyn et al, in press ; Wagner et al, in press ). In addition, the articles discuss important contextual factors to explain gender differences, including that women are viewed as less credible political commentators and political actors (Koc-Michalska et al, in press ; Southern & Harmer, in press ) as well as experiences of harassment ranging from unpleasant comments to abuse (Koc-Michalska et al, in press ; Nadim & Fladmoe, in press ; Southern & Harmer, in press ). The enduring gender inequalities likely relate to a combination of personal attributes and the larger social and political context.…”

“…Not all women will benefit from using digital media as a political tool, as Heger and Hoffmann ( in press ) document differences in political efficacy and online political participation based on feminist ideologies and age. In addition, Koc-Michalska, Schiffrin, Lopez, Boulianne, and Bimber ( in press ) document that mansplaining targets a particular group of women: young, well-educated, and left-leaning women.…”