Social media negatively impacts women more than men, Americans say in survey

Social media impacts women more negatively than men, according to most Americans, but traditional media does a better job giving equal attention to issues that affect both. 

The latest Media & Technology survey by Boston University’s College of Communication found that three times as many than not, for example, say social media content negatively impacts women more than men, in terms of body perception, lifestyle and self-esteem (52% agree vs. 17% disagree). 

But when asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the idea that TV, magazines, radio and newspapers “give equal attention to issues that affect women and issues that affect men,” respondents were almost evenly split (32% agreed, 35% disagreed). 

“The most surprising result was the proportion of people, an average of 35%, that have no clear position when it comes to having an opinion on how women’s issues are covered or portrayed in the media,” said Nivea Canalli Bona, a master lecturer at Boston University’s College of Communication. “This could be a sign of low media literacy, which shows that people are not critical of the role media plays in perpetuating stereotypes. It can further point to the need for more media literacy projects in the country – with the goal of fighting misinformation and disinformation – which should investigate the gender issue.” 

On the other hand, Bona said, fake news is “a proven hot ideological subject” since twice as many Democrats as Republicans, 51% and 25%, respectively, believe fake news can harm women more than men. 

When considering media as a whole, respondents agreed that women were likely to be harmed more than men by misinformation (33% agreed vs. 20% disagreed); misrepresented (42% vs. 21%), and portrayed in ways that reinforced gender stereotypes (50% to 14%). 

While women agreed with these statements at notably higher rates, men said they recognized the unequal treatment. For example, by more than two-to-one men agreed that media coverage “often reinforces gender stereotypes with regards to social roles for women and men.”, with (45% agree vs 20% who disagree). 

When considering traditional media, people between the ages of 35-54 are the most critical, with 41% pointing to gender inequalities in media coverage, compared with those 18 to 34 (31%) or people 55 and older (33%). 

“One possible explanation here is that older people have reduced perception of gender imbalances in traditional media coverage, given that it is a recent discussion, since media literacy organizations started pointing more assertively to the need of gender balanced representation,” Bona said. “Middle-aged people were the ones waking up to these imbalances and the younger generation does not consume traditional media.”

Survey Summary 

Respondents to this month’s Media & Technology Survey were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with five statements: 

The traditional media (TV, magazines, radio, newspapers) give equal attention to issues that affect women and issues that affect men. 

• Strongly Disagree: 11% / 9% men / 12% women
• Disagree: 24% / 23% / 25%
• Neither Agree or Disagree: 33% / 32% / 35%
• Agree: 26% / 29% / 23%
• Strongly Agree: 6% / 7% / 5% 

Social media content negatively impacts women more than men (ex. body perception, lifestyle, self-esteem). 

• Strongly Disagree: 5% / 5% men / 5% women
• Disagree: 12% / 12% / 10%
• Neither Agree or Disagree: 31% / 33% / 30%
• Agree: 37% / 37% / 37%
• Strongly Agree: 15% / 11% / 18% 

I believe that misinformation, such as fake news, causes more harm to women than to men. 

• Strongly Disagree: 8% / 11% men / 6% women
• Disagree: 12% / 14% / 11%
• Neither Agree or Disagree: 46% / 40% / 50%
• Agree: 22% / 24% / 21%
• Strongly Agree: 11% / 11% / 11% 

Women are more likely to be misrepresented in media than men. 

• Strongly Disagree: 7% / 9% men / 4% women
• Disagree: 14% / 17% / 11%
• Neither Agree or Disagree: 37% / 37% / 37%
• Agree: 28% / 25% / 31%
• Strongly Agree: 14% / 11% / 17% 

Media coverage often reinforces gender stereotypes with regards to the social roles of women and men. 

• Strongly Disagree: 4% / 6% men / 2% women
• Disagree: 10% / 14% / 6%
• Neither Agree or Disagree: 37% / 35% / 39%
• Agree: 36% / 32% / 40%
• Strongly Agree: 14% / 13% / 14% 

About the Media & Technology Survey 

The Media & Technology Survey is an ongoing project of the Communication Research Center (CRC) at Boston University’s College of Communication. This month’s polls were conducted in English on October 17 to 18, 2024, using Ipsos eNation Omnibus, a nationally representative online survey that measures attitudes and opinions of 1,005 adults across the United States, respectively. This online survey has a credibility interval (CI) of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The data were weighted to the U.S. population data by region, gender, age and education. Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.