Feminism's Influence On Social Media

As I am walking down the street to grab myself a morning cup of joe, a man leaning against a wall sneered at me and said in a demeaning tone, “Why don’t you smile more, sweetheart?” I cocked my head to the side and gave him my cheeriest smile, accompanied by a dead serious expression in my eyes. He took the cue to leave me alone, and I continued into the coffee shop with the same dead expression on my face. I then asked myself why I even smiled for him in the first place. It’s as if women can never look serious all the time or, god forbid, look anything but tired. The stereotype of women having to constantly be upbeat plays into the idea that women must always look and feel presentable. With the already demanding expectations held by the media, …show more content…
Anti-feminist movements have existed throughout the decades, the most recent being “Meninism.” All over social media, men and women alike have backfired against the feminist movement by calling it “hatred against men.” By derailing the main subject of equality, Meninism completely undermines the value of feminism and deceives the public with its own definition of equality. The misrepresentation of equality is not only present online, but it is also seen through magazines and tabloids. The same celebrities that have campaigned for equal rights have also publicly expressed their contempt of feminism. The CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Meyer, contends the idea that “feminism has become, in many ways, a more negative word” (Meyers). It seems as though society has painted the modern feminist as a diabolical fiend. Instead of using their brand of recognition to help shed light on inequality, anti-feminist celebrities continue to mislead the public. Various definitions of feminism confuse the actual direction of the …show more content…
Many issues regarding post-feminist thinking in the media such as radical activism deceives the people of its true intention. Amanda Lotz, a professor at the University of Michigan, illustrates the issue behind media defining feminism. “As under-informed arbiters of knowledge, mass media sources have offered legitimacy to those whose ideas verge on the anti-feminist while describing their positions as feminist, consequently delegitimizing the true theoretical innovation of third-wave thought.” Amanda points out the misconception of feminism reiterated by many others. The satirical portrayal of feminism on social media such as Twitter condemns women for their behavior. Posts exclaiming “Not All Men” preach of the inequality men endure on social media. This idea implies that feminism is targeting men and only men. By shifting the focal point of concerns surrounding women on to men, “Not All Men” disregards a woman’s safety and