Just appearing as a woman online, it seems, can be enough to inspire abuse. In 2006, researchers from the University of Maryland set up a bunch of fake online accounts and then dispatched them into chat rooms. Accounts with feminine usernames incurred an average of 100 sexually explicit or threatening messages a day. Masculine names received 3.7.
The Next Civil Rights Issue: Why Women Aren’t Welcome on the Internet by Amanda Hess (via misandry-mermaid)
I NEED TO EMPHASIZE THAT YOU MUST READ THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE IT IS BRILLIANT AND FRUSTRATING AND YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS
(via panicandstartariot)
on the one hand, i’m glad we have actual quantitative research on this. on the other hand, i’m like, “well, duh, any lady/lady-leaning nerd could’ve told you this”.