Gender norms and masculinity in social media: The experience of Mexican adolescents

• In Event: New risks to gender justice? Social media, masculinity and gender norms among adolescent boys and young men

Proposal

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a contested area in Mexico. Nevertheless, the progress that has been made has been fundamental in providing knowledge and skills that contribute to self-care, wellbeing and the development of relationships based on respect and decision-making among adolescents and young people. In addition, it favors the development of a critical perspective based on the experiences and subjectivities of adolescents, considering the heterogeneity of the contexts in which they interact (offline). In recent years, the interaction of adolescents and young people in the digital context (online) has increased considerably, a space to which little attention has been paid. After an initial review of the literature, the need to generate new evidence for the development and updating of innovative strategies in programs aimed at adolescents in Mexico was identified.

For this reason, since the beginning of 2024, the Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar, A.C., has developed primary research focused on the experience and voice of male adolescents, between 15 and 19 years old, living in urban and rural areas of six Mexican states. The objective of the research is to explore how social media content influences the masculinity of adolescents. During the research, a mixed methodology was implemented through two tools: Participatory Diagnosis (DiPa) and Photovoice, implemented in workshop format, in which creative inputs such as drawing (DiPa) and photography and narration (Photovoice) are generated.

During the field work, 230 participants were reached. The tools are characterized by the exchange of experiences, perceptions and meanings of adolescents in a creative and safe space. Twenty-nine complementary interviews were conducted. The qualitative findings led to the design of a survey applied online, with a scope of 283 adolescents: 148 male, 125 female and 10 non-binary.

The results of the analysis show how the social context, characterized by pre-existing cultural and violent norms and practices, permeates the lives of adolescents. Some norms are reinforced in social networks with the content they consume and the interaction with digital content creators (influencers) who reproduce gender stereotypes, elements that together influence the construction of identity, masculinity, personal aspirations and self-esteem.

Additionally, the findings constitute, in methodological terms, an innovative contribution given the characteristics of the tools used and the type of content they generate. They provide key elements in the understanding of the construction of masculinity and the social norms that influence adolescents based on the voice and experience of adolescents, which could provide the reader with a resource for updating content in Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

Authors

• Patricia Cala Barranco, Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar A.C.

• Paola Flores, Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar A. c.