Topic > The influence of media and technology on gender inequality

With the advent of technology, people have been exposed to media. Media has extended social norms, rituals and stereotypes to universal levels, unlike the old way where they were limited to a geographical society. According to Ellemers (2018), gender stereotypes are evident in the media. A good example is a visual industry. In most movies and cartoons, male characters are designed to be more responsible, aggressive and powerful. Examples of such include Spiderman, Superman, Batman and Ironman among others. Such images are adopted by younger generations to believe that men are stronger and more responsible, tied to power and authority. Female characters in most films are engaged in household chores with devotion and submissive traits. While such images depict social contexts within society, they propagate such stereotypes across the globe for generations (Kanai & Dobson, 2016). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay However, the media itself has played an important role in promoting gender equality. Gender equality campaigns are propagated to the world through the media. Social media has been used to expose cases that undermine equality in gender roles, such as gender discrimination in the workplace, education limited to girls, and social norms that violate equal responsibility for both sexes. The media has created awareness of the need to break out of the “cocoon” of stereotypes, rituals and social norms and to promote equal responsibility between men and women in the public and private sectors (Subrahmanian, 2004). Various organizations have been created to promote the role of the female gender in the social, economic and cultural dimension, with the adoption of regulations to ensure respect for gender equality. In conclusion, it is necessary to eliminate various social norms, stereotypes and traditional beliefs that undermine gender equality. Gender inequality has elevated gender roles to levels that undermine equal contributions for both sexes. It is a common belief that the male gender is powerful compared to the female gender. This has undermined equal contribution to society by limiting female gender roles to domestic chores. The aspect of media, interaction and education is responsible for creating a revolution towards gender equality. Gender should remain a biological classification based on genetics and traits. Although social gender, such as dress code, behaviors and social characters, can be respected, these should not violate gender responsibilities. Both genders should feel part of society, having the opportunity to contribute equally to private and public matters related to social, economic and political responsibilities. Feminist campaigns should be promoted to uplift the female gender which has been dragged down through the ages. However, such campaigns should focus on gender equality, equality and gender integration without undermining the male gender.