Social Media Gender Wars
Women in social media have been very vocal about the fact that the rising stars in social media are predominantly white males. This obviously is just not a trend within social media, white men are the leaders in television, government, food…and even fashion. The reason it’s worth discussing in regards to social media, is because it’s a new field growing in our time. It’s hard to accept that even in this new field, white men are going to be the thought leaders.
Many of these very vocal women also believe that women are better equipped by nature to be online community managers.
Connie Bensen, Director of Community Strategy at Alterian and a 2009 Fellow with the Society of New Communications Research, this is a natural role for women because, women are:
- focused on relationships
- taught to be nurturing
- multitaskers
- detail oriented
- experts at compromising & mediation
- traditionally keeping the home fires burning (not sure I should go that far back!)
Not to mention, like fashion and food, this is an area in which women have more buying power and influence than men do.
I definitely do not fault men for rising as stars in the field. They did it on their own accord. Women can also found their own marketing business, write a book, and promote the heck out of themselves online. It’s a different market now, newcomers don’t have the opportunities that Brian Solis, Chris Brogan, and Pete Cashmore did, but they certainly have the opportunity to find their own niche. I call dibs on social shopping. ;-)
