Role of digital space in Gender Performance : Construction of a Social Identity

Abstract

Social media and gender have been one of the important topics of discussion in debates societies. Gender has been a traditional concept and social media is a very 20^th-century idea but the thought of both of these concepts together accelerated in modern world with the introduction of industrialization and new social media.  It became a sacred space curated specially to give you the freedom to have different versions of yourself where the reality can be found hidden behind the cameras and the ideal reality one want to show is presented itself in front of the world. Here we will be focusing on how genders are represented on social media and most importantly how these constructed identities are perceived by society. Furthermore, we will be examining the representation of genders in movies, media, and television and how they perpetuate various stereotypes and gendered norms which affect them in the real world. 

Gender and traditional demarcation of its characteristics are usually based on behaviour, language basically, all the concepts which can be fundamentally constructed. The idea of Judith butler of gender performance becomes the origin of discussion on the categorization of genders. In the modern world, the lines strictly drawn to keep everyone in their area is blurring with the discovery of many genders and sexuality and this has been propagated by social media as it facilitates the connection between individuals with similar experiences and also becomes the platform for all gender voices to be heard. This paper will also discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by people according to their gender and also how the same social media becomes the medium of self-expression and space where they fight the misconceptions, stereotypes, and power hierarchy associated with their gender.

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