More women online, study says. Will this ultimately help our cause?

[atommom]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2012250&mesg_id=2012250

[bloom]

1. I don't know...

There is one woman I know of who must be a Freeper - she gets all off the right-wing talking points/propaganda and passes them along to everyone in her group. So people like that don't help.

It might be that fewer people will be out in the middle - that more people with more information (or disinformation as the case may be) will go to one side or the other.

[atommom]

2. From a feminist standpoint, I wonder whether there will be more women

online who are willing to speak up. That's what I would really like to see.

[bliss_eternal]

7. ...and women like this usually aren't likely to BELIEVE

the truth even when it's starting them in the face. They just aren't capable. All the FACTS, EVIDENCE and such do nothing for them--they won't believe them. Just more 'spin from the liberal media' as far as they're concerned.

I've gotten into arguments on-line arguments with women like this. There's no reasoning with them. Presenting them with facts from reliable sources--nope. The woman was in absolute denial, even in regard to issues that affected other women. Denial.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Well that particular study is a little discouraging

"If there is an overall pattern of differences here, it is that men value the internet for the breadth of experiences it offers, and women value it for the human connections," said Deborah Fallows, senior research fellow at Washington-based Pew and author of the report"

Women looking up "health related issues" Stopped short of saying recipies and weight loss programs.

But ultimeletly? Yes I believe so. The internet offers both biased and unbiased information, easily accessable. If human connections are what women are interested in, they can be found with a variety of sites, blogs whatever.
For instance, Going to the NOW website is informative and not particularly intimidating. Someone doesn't have to agree with all feminist issues to learn that feminists are fighting the good fight for WOMEN--and women the world over.
There will always be the freeper types, but in my experience people are not very engaged or involved, they just want to live their lives and let others change the world.
But when something affects them personally, fires them up so to speak the information is there, just a click away. Information can be education and education of what feminism is, is what is most needed to me anyway.

Might take a while, though. (Sigh)

[Hello_Kitty]

4. Many sites that cater to women are really inane

Chock full of the usual harangues about weight, looks, fashion, how to get/keep/fool/not scare off/coddle your man. They're just high tech versions of women's magazines in that sense. There is, similar to those wretched glossies, some feminist editorial content that is slipped past the corporate chaperons. And women communicating with each other online about important issues, the ones that "fire them up" as you say, is very promising. I sometimes venture into message boards and chat rooms frequented by young girls. On the one hand, you see them buying into the patriarchal b.s. to a certain extent but a lot of them are on to it in a way I never was in my late teens/early 20s. There are also some very cool young feminist blogs out there, written by feisty, funny women. Some of my faves:



feministe

pandagon

alas a blog

My day isn't complete until I check into at least one of these. These women are whip smart and spot on. I'm usually too awed to even attempt a comment. I recommend them to every woman, particularly young ones, that I know.

[ismnotwasm]

5. I love feministe

And a couple others I learned from here. I'm going to check out those others. But you're right, mostly it's looks, makeup, weight- blech.

It's slow going-- I'm one of the older women where I work (45) But I make no bones about being a feminist to the young ones, I kept it light, they shy a bit from the word, but are very receptive to the issues. The male nurses as well at times-- there is a young Japanses male nurse, and we got into a conversation about the evolving role of women in Japan. It was very cool, and very enlightening. We started by talking about sterotype of the "passive and pliant" perception of the Pan-Asian female, and one thing led to another. He had quite a bit of very good input.

All of these people are on the net in varying degrees.

[Finder]

6. Doubt it--more women does not equal more feminists. n/t