“As a Woman…”: Policing Black Femininity Through Unsolicited Digital Advice

What is it about?

This study explores how social media is being used to control and criticise how Black women express their femininity. On platforms like TikTok and YouTube, influencers often give advice that pressures Black women to act in certain "traditional" ways, telling them to be submissive, avoid independence, and stay in unhealthy relationships. While this may seem like personal opinion, the study shows that this kind of advice is part of a wider pattern of online behaviour that harms women and reinforces old gender roles. Using real examples from popular videos, the research shows how these messages are amplified by social media algorithms and contribute to real-world problems like emotional abuse and gender-based violence. The article also explains how ideas about femininity are shaped by race, culture, and history, especially for Black women. It calls for more awareness of how digital spaces shape harmful ideas about what it means to be a woman.

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