Sociological explanations

• Harraway (Feminist): Women should be included just as much as men because the idea of woman is socially constructed. Cyborgs allow women to rise above gender boundaries and create new identities.
• Nakamura (Feminist): Women from ethnic minorities have gained mass usage in social media enabling them to talk about sensitive topics. E.g. Sayhername movement talked about black women and assault
• Green (Feminist): Digital technology is a feminine technology that can be used to destabilise the patriarchy and help women create new identities. E.g. Everyday Sexism Project (Laura Bates)
• Cochrane (Feminist): Identified fourth wave feminism as being powered by digital technology, e.g. cyber-feminism
• Feminist Explanation


  Argue digital communication is being used by the patriarchy to control women. This can be seen in women being commodified (something which can be sold) online through pornography, the abuse of women, sharing violent images, objectification, sexualisation and violence not taken seriously. Women are often silenced and can't share their views making them a 'muted group'. This has been combatted by Mums Net and MeToo
• Silverman (Feminist): the internet isn't regulated and is poorly monitored, so women are more likely to be oppressed and exploited through human trafficking. 44% of people in human sex trafficking were women (CJS) (doesn't appear in crime stats)
• Althusser (Marxist): ISA (media) enforces capitalism
• Cornford and Robbins (Marxists): globalisation has spread capitalism by forcing people into consumer culture
• Seabrook (Marxist): globalisation has led to cultural imperialism. Western societies forcing western ideals
• Snowden Report (2013): found that there was a misuse of surveillance by governments in UK
• Marxist Explanations


  Digital communication is used to distract people from the real inequalities they face. It adds to the false class consciousness. They also argue algorithms are developed to determine what people want to see to keep them online for as long as possible and force them to see more things which serve capitalist ideologies
• Postmodern Explanations


  Society is media saturated meaning digital communication dominates society. Digital forms of communication provide a fluid and diverse way of expressing identity. E.g. Boellstorff second life
• Hart (Postmodernist): people constantly change their autobiography profile if they want to alter their identity, shows identity is fluid and constantly changing. Allows people to see others in a more positive light
• Foucault (Postmodernist): surveillance is a good example of how digital communication is more positive because surveillance can be used to reduce crime and keep society safe
• Case (Postmodernist): argues we are all 'cyborgs' now because the use of digital communication has impacted our identities loads. We are able to be fluid