A Research of Impact of TikTok on Gender Stereotypes in China
Abstract
Now, with the development of the Internet, advanced communication technology continuously extends and expands people’s senses. Notwithstanding such a mind-boggling data society, individuals are handily caught in the pseudo climate developed by mass correspondence. The orientation jobs characterized by society are additionally communicated in various ways in the media. The media often portrays men as strong, brave, and capable of decision-making, while women are portrayed as weak, dependent, and gentle. This media promotion not only affects people’s way of thinking but also affects society’s perception and evaluation of gender roles. When orientation generalizations are shaped, they are hard to break and can altogether affect individuals’ mental cycles. Through small-scale interviews, this study aims to investigate TikTok’s gender stereotypes. The examination subjects were a 17-year-old male and a 17-year-old female secondary school understudy, a 40-year-elderly person and a 40-year-elderly person. The results show that Tiktok has a positive impact on male and female stereotypes of high school students. The two high school students agreed that watching Tiktok helped them eliminate some inherent stereotypes. The two middle-aged people unanimously said that watching Tiktok eliminated some of their inherent stereotypes. The significance of the research is that the images of men and women presented by the media become more realistic and reasonable in terms of social roles, allowing women to truly break free from the stereotypes brought about by this deeply rooted patriarchal discourse.
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