Breaking The Bias In The Digital World

This Tuesday, March 8th, the world celebrated International Women’s Day with a call to “break the bias.” This 2022 theme asks people to “actively call out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping each time you see it,” with the goal of creating a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. 

At Youth Speak Out International, educating students about stereotypes and bias is a core part of our curriculum. We teach students how to decipher media messages, which can distort how children see their role in the world and how they value their own potential. We also help them understand their own integrated identity, which means exploring and understanding who they are across multiple social identities. 

Conversations about social media and the digital world are important for all children, but especially young women. Researchers who studied data on more than 10,000 adolescents found frequent social media use disproportionately affects teen girls’ mental health more negatively than that of teen boys. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, girls are nearly three times more likely to experience cyberbullying than boys. It is important that they learn how to safely navigate the digital world and what to do if they encounter these situations. 

Media and the digital world are often used to amplify discrimination and stereotypes. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Giving students the tools to navigate the digital world can provide them with opportunities for connections that strengthen and empower. These opportunities and tools are key to breaking the bias.