Exploring Operation of Gender in the Virtual Space

Introduction

The cyber world has been hailed as a realm which would dissolve markers of corporeal existence like age, gender, class, caste, race etc. The argument being that as these markers which polarize are indiscernible in the virtual world they will lose their salience and we would have a utopian space where an individual can float free of all these restricting markers. However, the reality is far from removed. In Zeros and Ones: Digital Women and the New Technoculture (1997), Sadie Plant implies that dual roles still prevail in the new seamless boundless cyberspace: zeroes and ones are at the core of new digital technologies where she sees ‘1’ as the man and ‘0’ as the woman, the ‘0-ther’ or nothing.

There is no denying the fact that the internet seems to be leaving an indelible mark on the warp and weft of our social interactions and systems by subverting prevalent norms and rules. The flux we are witnessing in the digital space can be harnessed into a productive space that can be used to mark a departure from traditional norms that define social power; however, the current reality seems to be far removed. According to Nielsen's India Internet Report 2023, India had over 700 million active internet users aged 2 years and above as of December 2022. Of these, rural India accounted for 425 million users, which was almost 44% higher than the number of active internet users in urban areas, with 295 million users. Female active internet users as per the report grew by 27%, whereas male users increased by around 18%. Nearly 90% of internet users were daily users. There were over 450 million smartphone users in the country, with video watching and video calling being the top two online activities. Facebook users in India have crossed the 240-million mark, becoming the largest audience country for the social media giant. You tube, Instagram and Whatsapp are the other platforms frequented by users in India. On an average people spend 6-8 hours on the Internet in a day and most log on to one of their favorite platforms every two to three minutes in a day.

It is obvious by the above facts that the virtual space is slowly emerging as an extension of reality. In fact the boundaries between what can be perceived as real and what now constitutes the virtual is constantly blurring. What with artificial intelligence and intruding algorithms percolating into our daily life and existence. Smart devices have now become extensions of the human selves and almost every citizen who owns a smartphone is not a netizen. Women are increasingly participating in social networking and other related activities on social media where they are constantly interacting with other netizens who carry the markers of their gender identity to the virtual space. Oftentimes carrying prejudices and misogyny too. This is evident in the multifarious instances of cyberbullying, slut shaming and other related discrimination women and people identifying to other marginalized groups face on social media. An attempt thus needs to be made to understand how gender roles and misogynist practices percolate to the social media platforms and whether users of social media are aware of the choices they are making and the dangers that lurk in social media.