What is it about?
This is the first study in the world that uses BIG DATA (or big data) for analysis of different interests for social engagement or expressions on Facebook across gender in different countries. This is an important topic to illustrate differences between the sexes in social expressions in a new and important arena for social engagement, namely Facebook. I find the same divisions between genders on Facebook as elsewhere in society.
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Why is it important?
REASONS for the study is that many researchers claim that Facebook and social media equalizes differences between genders. It is a low threshold entry to express interest in politics and community involvement, through, among other likes. Xenos et al. (2014) argues that social media is THE GREAT EQUALIZER. The gender perspective is also interesting because women use Facebook and social media to a greater extent than men. This is in many ways women's and girls' arena. FACEBOOK is important to study because it is the largest social media in the world, with over 1.5 billion users, where a billion uses Facebook every day.
Perspectives
The use of big data, similar to the one used in this study, can have a significant measurement and analysis benefit. Traditionally, research has focused on what men and women SAY they do, but big data analysis can reveal what people are actually doing. Much of the traditional survey research concerning gender differences is criticized for a bias were males brag on themselves behavior, interests or skills they actually have not. The current study provide actual behavior and specific preferences, and could therefore provide a more accurate picture of gender differences related to interest or expressions of civic engagement. How representative such data is, however, something to discuss. I find that the data in this study largely corresponds with representative Facebook statistics, but this is a new kind of method that are seldom tried and tested.
Petter Bae Brandtzaeg
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Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Facebook is no “Great equalizer”, Social Science Computer Review, August 2016, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0894439315605806.
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