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Online gendered racism is a complex form of online bullying rooted in intersectional sexist and racist stereotypes. Black teenage girls are subjected to experiencing online gendered racism through posts, comments, and direct messages from peers and/or strangers which may negatively shape their wellness, self perception, and self esteem. Although growing research focuses on online racism, there is minimal empirical research investigating gendered racism intersectionally on social media experienced by Black girls qualitatively. Thus, it is imperative to explore gendered racism in online spaces.
Methods
This qualitative study employed constructivist grounded theory, photovoice, and Black Girl Youth Participatory Action Research (BGYPAR), to explore their experiences and implications of online gendered racism. One-on-one virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of N=41 Black girls and non-binary individuals in the U.S. ages 14-18. Data were analyzed inductively via initial and post-coding memos, open coding, focused coding, analytic memos, and team discussions.
Results
Black girls commonly experienced online gendered racism from school peers. Jackson (she/her) age 17, “I remember I wanted to play basketball, and ... I was talking about it in class. I saw one of my classmates had posted on his story..."This ugly a** girl in my class, want to play basketball. She don't know this a boy's sport." I didn't think nothing of it until somebody had clarified for me, like, the ugly a** girl is you, and the boy sport is also about you. You can't play. You're not sporty enough for it...I was shocked...”
Online gendered racism often emerged by attacking Black girls’ body shapes, which contributed to poorer mental health. Tolu (she/her) age 17, “...Around Valentine's Day, I had this cute pink bodycon dress... I posted a full body picture for the first time, and a few people made remarks about how big my stomach was, even going as far as to ask if I was pregnant...It made me feel really bad. I could kind of feel like my eating disorder is starting to come back. I just took the post down and privated my account for a while.
Navigating the constant hypersexualization online makes it difficult for Black girls to feel safe. K (she/her) age 18 expressed, “A black girl is not responsible for someone else to keep their hands in their pants, you know... I see a lot of younger black girls are constantly sexualized because of the way their bodies develop compared to peers. Just because they develop faster [they’re] deemed as more sexual.”
Conclusion
Online gendered racism is detrimental to the well-being and development of Black girls. Identifying how online gendered racism emerges on social media platforms is an initial step to challenging it. Social workers can combat online gendered racism by educating youth and adults about this form of online bullying. Furthermore, social workers can develop tools to support youth socio-emotionally in responding to and processing distress stemming from online gendered racism.