Introduction
Living in a digital world is no longer an option we can easily avoid. Today, the mere thought of isolating ourselves from the digital realm seems strange to most of us. After all, most people view digital technology as a major blessing that sets our world apart from what it was just a few decades ago.
Many people find it hard to imagine their lives without smartphones or their daily experiences without social media and instant messaging apps. Yet, some believe their lives might be better if they could step back from this digital world.
For some women, in particular, the compulsion of having to be present in the virtual world represents a burden that negatively impacts their mental health. It can lead to chronic anxiety and, in some cases, escalate to more severe disorders, including suicidal tendencies.
In recent years, interest has grown toward exploring the multifaceted connections between digital world experiences and mental health, emphasizing the notable disparities based on gender. Particular focus has been placed on unraveling the distinct ways in which women’s experiences in digital spaces shape their mental health.
Numerous studies have proven clear differences between women and men regarding the psychological impact of their experiences in cyberspace. These differences include the types of psychological disorders that women may experience and the rates of their exposure to the psychological disorders that men may suffer from in turn.
This paper discusses the effects of women’s experiences in the digital world on their mental health. The paper provides a brief survey of the main gender-based pressures women experience in the digital world and the impact of these pressures on their mental health.
The paper also discusses ways to address gender-based pressures affecting mental health, including public policies that should be implemented by both: governments and tech companies, as well as individual measures and practices that can be used to avoid or handle these various pressures.
Gender Pressures in the Digital World
In this section, the paper addresses several gender-based pressures that women face. It focuses on the psychological effects of these pressures and how they are reflected in statistics related to women’s mental health.
Cyberbullying and Harassment
Women’s disproportionate exposure to cyberbullying and online harassment compared to men has been a noticeable phenomenon for a long time. Journalistic reports have documented this issue, highlighting that there are various forms of abuse women may encounter online. These include insults and slurs, persistent stalking, shaming, as well as sexual threats and death threats.
Women are more likely than men to experience certain types of abuse. Some studies have shown that 16% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment, compared to 5% of men. Additionally, 13% of women mentioned being stalked, compared to 9% of men.
Other studies have highlighted that young women, in particular, are more vulnerable to sexual harassment. About 33% of women under the age of 35 reported experiencing online sexual harassment, compared to 11% of men in the same age group.
The rates at which women experience different forms of abuse online also vary from those in the physical world. For example, some studies indicate that women are more likely to face bullying online than they are in reality outside.
Studies have documented numerous psychological effects resulting from experiencing cyberbullying or online harassment, particularly on social media platforms. Among these effects are:
- High levels of both pathological anxiety and psychological stress.
- Increased vulnerability to depression.
- Low self-esteem.
- Social withdrawal.
- Problems of concentration.
- Self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Other studies agree that exposure to online sexual harassment has been linked to severe mental health outcomes, including depression, pathological anxiety, a tendency towards drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts.
Body Image Issues and Unrealistic Beauty Standards
Body image is a crucial component of an individual’s psychological makeup. Due to a long historical buildup, body image became more important and central to the psychological makeup of women compared to men. The study of body image has evolved into a distinct research field, with specialized scientific journals dedicated to it today. Body image can be defined as “the self-perception and self-directed behaviors associated with a person’s body, including thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors.”
Social media platforms increasingly favor visual content (images and videos) over textual and audio content. Millions of women share their photos and videos daily while also being exposed to other women’s photos and videos.
In the vast majority of published visual content, there is a relentless pursuit of achieving the ideal image and prevailing beauty standards. At the forefront of these standards are thinness, light skin color, smooth hair, and other physical attributes. Many studies have highlighted the negative impact of women’s use of social media and exposure to the content posted on these platforms on their body image.
Studies conducted over the past decade have shown that women feel worse about their bodies after being exposed to various idealized beauty standards on social media. These platforms consistently feature content focusing on attractive, slim, and athletic bodies.
Studies have also shown that teenage girls are more likely to experience difficulties with their mental health than boys of the same age. Several teenage girls in a survey expressed that body image was a significant source of concern for them and spoke about the comparisons they made when viewing images on social media. Additionally, comparing appearances was a contributing factor to exacerbating anxiety about their looks, driving them to seek changes in their appearance in pursuit of approval and acceptance through social media platforms.
Most social media users strive to present themselves in the best possible way through their posts. This image is usually unrealistic, but it also reflects the economic and social differences between classes and groups in society, as well as the differences in lifestyles between different communities.
Constant exposure to social media content leads users to compare themselves to others, whether consciously or unconsciously. This results in a higher dissatisfaction with oneself, particularly among girls and women. It often develops into psychological distress, including depression, isolation, and resorting to cruel practices to modify body image. Some girls and women resort to deliberate starvation trying to lose weight, which can lead to serious physical health risks, especially in the case of teenage girls.
Stalking and Threats
Digital technology applications have produced a new form of gender-based violence. In recent years, the risks associated with this type of violence have exacerbated with the significant advancement of the applications of artificial intelligence technologies. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is defined as: “Any act committed, supported, exacerbated, or amplified through the use of information and communication technologies or other digital tools, resulting in or likely to result in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, economic harm, or any violation of rights and freedoms. These forms of violence are directed at women because they are women and/or affect women in particular.”
Among the most dangerous forms of gender-based violence facilitated by digital technology is what has come to be known as cyberstalking. Cyberstalking can take various forms, including:
- Sending direct threats via email or other means of electronic messaging.
- Encouraging others to threaten or harass the victim.
- Sharing intimate images via social media platforms or pornographic websites.
- Impersonating the victim online.
- Seeking to collect the victim’s personal information and data.
The danger of cyberstalking lies in the fact that perpetrators often combine means of online stalking with real-world actions. Numerous studies have shown that cyberstalking typically begins with threats and escalates to physical assaults.
Women who experience violence through their online presence and use of social media platforms often suffer from high levels of persistent fear and pathological anxiety. Being exposed to cyberstalking, particularly when it escalates or has the potential to escalate into real-world stalking, causes victims to feel fear for their safety and lives.
Such persistent fear leads to devastating and severe psychological effects. These effects can escalate into suicidal thoughts, which victims may sometimes carry out. In general, the mental health of cyberstalking victims deteriorates significantly.
Victims particularly suffer from high levels of pathological anxiety, constant flashbacks to their stalking experiences, and persistent nausea. Studies have shown that individuals subjected to stalking endure more severe psychological symptoms than victims of short-term harassment. Additionally, one in five victims reported suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Most forms of stalking and threats that women experience online represent severe violations of their privacy. The constant feeling among women that they are vulnerable to privacy violations leads to immense psychological stress. This is because privacy breaches typically result in grave consequences for women.
These consequences can often escalate to threats to physical safety and even life, in addition to varying degrees of social and economic threats. In this context, many women suffer from constant anxiety about the potential violation of their privacy, which sometimes leads to psychological distress, including anxiety disorders and depression.
Isolation and Feelings of Loneliness
Cyberspace offers its users a virtual world that differs from the real world. While this can be an advantage for many, helping them expand their communication opportunities and develop their social skills, in many cases, it can lead to the opposite effect.
Internet users may find the virtual world a refuge from the difficulties of real life. Some may also find in online activities greater opportunities to spend time in isolation from others. Studies have shown that the tendencies of internet users related to isolation and feelings of loneliness differ significantly between men and women.
Many mental health professionals and researchers consider internet addiction to be a psychological disorder, although it has not yet been officially recognized. Specialists define internet addiction as the problematic and compulsive use of the Internet, mainly social media platforms, which hinder an individual’s ability to carry out their normal daily life activities for extended periods.
Internet addiction leads to various forms of withdrawal from daily life, which can even prevent an individual from establishing healthy social relationships with family members, coworkers, or others. This withdrawal may result in isolation and a fear of daily interactions with others, ultimately destroying the person’s social life. Women who are addicted to internet use, in particular, are more vulnerable to depression.
Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace
The boundaries between the virtual world of cyberspace and the real world are increasingly disappearing. The continuous permeation of digital technology into various daily activities of people has led to a reliance on digital means for everyday communication, including in social family and workplace relationships.
Social media platforms also allow individuals’ personal lives to become more public, often leading to an overlap between different aspects of their social lives. This results in the dissolution of the usual boundaries between personal and family life on the one hand and work life on the other. This can lead to many problems, particularly for women who experience negative experiences in their workplaces due to socially prevalent discrimination.
It has been pointed out previously that in many stalking cases that begin in the virtual world, perpetrators resort to using real-world means to continue tracking their victims. This situation is more common in cases of stalking and harassment committed by colleagues or acquaintances through workplaces.
Workplace conflicts and problems may extend into cyberspace. Some individuals may resort to using social media platforms to launch personal campaigns for defamation, harassment, and other means to settle disputes or troubles that arise in the workplace. In particular, women working in competitive environments for promotions, training opportunities, and skill development are more vulnerable to sexual harassment and stalking tactics, as they are more likely to be affected by them.
Confronting Psychological Stress in the Digital World
Public Policies and Practices of Technology Companies
Countries have fundamental responsibilities towards their citizens, as do technology companies towards their applications’ users. These responsibilities include protecting people from the risks of criminal violations. In addition, technology companies are responsible for any harm caused to their users due to how they manage their applications and services.
Countries and technology companies should take into account the gender dimension and its significant impact on the different forms and rates of risks that girls and women face. They should also consider how these risks and their effects differ from those experienced by men. Incorporating gender sensitivity as a guiding principle in the legislative strategies of countries and the policy-making mechanisms of companies has become a necessity that should not be overlooked.
Gender sensitivity is not only a tool for achieving justice and equality but also a prerequisite for the effectiveness of legislation and policies, ensuring that they achieve their intended goals. This section discusses some key mechanisms that countries and technology companies should use to reduce the risks and threats faced by girls and women in the digital world.
Extending Anti-Harassment and Violence against Women Laws to Cyberspace
Most countries today have various legislations addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence against women in the physical world. These laws are often used to address similar phenomena online; however, in many cases, they are unsuitable for application to numerous situations. Additionally, their enforcement may fail to achieve its intended purpose in other instances.
The shortcomings in enforcing existing legislation often stem from a failure to consider the unique conditions and characteristics of the digital world in the philosophy, provisions, and enforcement mechanisms of these legislations. Addressing this shortcoming requires considering the nature of the digital world that transcends traditional borders between countries.
Countries should consider establishing bilateral or multilateral agreements or protocols to track and prosecute perpetrators of the most serious crimes, regardless of whether they reside in different countries from their victims.
Legislations on combating harassment and violence against women should also take into account the mental health aspects of the victims. This includes stipulating that enforcement procedures must consider the psychological consequences these crimes may have on victims, which could hinder or impact their engagement with these procedures.
Similarly, it should be ensured that these procedures do not exacerbate the psychological consequences of the crime or lead to additional psychological harm. In certain cases, the legislation can mandate providing specialized psychological assistance to victims during the various stages of enforcement procedures.
Confronting Bullying and Harassment through Content Moderation Policies
Technology companies that own various applications and websites can play a significant role in reducing women’s exposure to cyberbullying and sexual harassment through their platforms. Content moderation policies established by these companies serve as a vital tool for achieving this goal.
These policies should include both preventive measures and response mechanisms for addressing violations during and after their occurrence. The initial steps should involve providing specialized settings that allow users to control the security and privacy levels of their accounts, data, and activities.
Content moderation policies should also provide tools to detect bullying and harassment practices and should be able as well to stop and remove content that constitutes criminal violations. These policies should allow female users to report instances of bullying, harassment, or other forms of gender-based violence. Additionally, effective procedures must be in place to address these violations, with the option to escalate cases to relevant authorities if they represent breaches of relative laws.
Companies should consider the psychological effects of harassment, and the necessary procedures for addressing it, on the victim in their policies and measures related to combating bullying and harassment. This includes providing guarantees for the privacy and confidentiality of the procedures used to report, verify, and handle the violations. Additionally, these companies should ensure access to specialized support for victims when needed.
Providing Safe Spaces for Women
Technology companies can implement various policies to ensure that the virtual spaces for communication and social interaction they provide are safe for girls and women. General prerequisites for behavior, mechanisms for posting content, and the ability to control levels of communication, among others, can make social media spaces safer. Additionally, it is possible to create specialized spaces with specific prerequisites and provide areas where users themselves can set the rules for behavior and interaction.
Among the policies that can make social spaces safer is allowing anonymity, meaning that revealing the user’s true identity should be optional. In many cases, anonymity can provide a greater sense of security and privacy protection for women, especially when facing the negative consequences of the overlap between their virtual and real-world lives.
Providing Specialized Support and Assistance
In contexts where the risks of exposure to harmful influences on mental health increase, it is necessary to provide various mechanisms for supporting potential victims. This support includes providing awareness of the risks, their sources, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them in case of exposure.
Technology companies should work on providing this type of awareness to their users, especially young people. This awareness should be available in formats and forms suitable for different groups and should be widely accessible to ensure it reaches all users.
In addition, guidelines should be provided to outline how to seek specialized assistance if needed. This assistance can be provided by individuals, groups of professionals, or specialized institutions on a voluntary and unpaid basis.
It is also possible to provide access to paid specialized assistance services for those who wish to seek them. In all cases, confidentiality and privacy of the pathways to specialized help should be maintained, ensuring that seeking assistance is safe and free from any harmful consequences that might deter those in need from pursuing it.
Best Individual Practices
Girls and women should acquire and practice mechanisms to address their experiences in the digital world, making it safer for them. It should be noted that the need for best individual practices does not in any way diminish the fundamental institutional or collective responsibilities, nor does it replace the roles of states and technology companies.
It should also be noted that the precautions that can be advised should not become a source of psychological harm; that is, the focus on these precautions should not lead to pathological anxiety or an obsession with the risks to be avoided.
Practicing Cyber Protection and Security Habits
Cyber protection and security habits should today be an integral part of daily life for all individuals. These habits refer to using mechanisms and tools that protect personal data from unauthorized access and the potential misuse that could follow, causing various harms to the individual or others.
Some basic precautions are the same for everyone and should become regular, ongoing practices, such as using antivirus applications on various devices. Additionally, every social media platform user should seek to understand the settings each site offers to provide better privacy and data protection. For girls and women, these settings should not be ignored, especially since, in their default form, they often do not provide the minimum necessary protection without modification.
Building Support Networks
Support networks refer to groups of individuals who collaborate to provide various forms of assistance and support to one another. The types of support these networks offer include sharing information and personal experiences to raise awareness or providing specialized assistance.
The importance of these networks lies in their openness, allowing individuals to join or leave voluntarily and enabling each person to control the extent of their involvement in discussions and activities. Many such networks already exist on social media platforms.
Following and joining some of these networks can be an effective way to obtain information that is better than traditional awareness sources. This is because they rely on direct communication, provide access to real personal experiences, and allow for dialogue and discussion.
Furthermore, girls and women can utilize support networks to receive guidance tailored to their specific experiences and challenges. These networks foster personal connections and create safe spaces for self-expression, cultivating a sense of belonging and combating feelings of isolation.
Seeking Professional/Specialized Assistance
Many people, especially girls and women, face various challenges that prevent them from seeking specialized mental health assistance. Currently, several alternatives are available to help overcome external barriers, whether financial or social.
Thus, the most significant barrier today is the internal hesitations and reluctance to confront the severe consequences on mental health, which can lead to threats to safety and life itself. It is essential to strive to overcome this obstacle.
In many cases, a girl or woman under psychological pressure or after experiencing trauma may not fully realize the extent of the impact her experience has had on her. Professional support provides an opportunity to uncover the psychological effects resulting from any negative experience and helps her address and overcome them as much as possible.
Conclusion
The experiences of girls and women in the virtual world differ significantly from those of men. Likewise, the psychological effects of these experiences on girls and women are distinctly different compared to men.
It has become evident that engaging in cyberspace increases the likelihood of various psychological challenges for girls and women. This highlights the clear need for gender sensitivity in developing strategies and policies to address the psychological impacts of living in a digital world.
This paper provided a brief overview of the psychological effects of living in a digital world on girls’ and women’s mental health. The paper’s first section presented several key aspects of the risks and threats that girls and women face in their experiences in cyberspace. This section covered cyberbullying and harassment, issues related to body image and unrealistic beauty standards, stalking and threats, isolation and feelings of loneliness, and harassment and discrimination in workplaces.
In the second section, the paper discussed potentials and ways of addressing gender-based pressures affecting mental health. It presented suggestions related to public policies that should be implemented by governments and technology companies, as well as individual actions and practices that girls and women should adopt to avoid the harmful psychological effects of their experiences in cyberspace.