Anna Gjika, an assistant professor at SUNY New Paltz, discusses the intersection of youth, gender, and technology in her work. She highlights alarming trends in teen sexting, cyberbullying, and digital sexual violence. Gjika emphasizes the importance of understanding peer cultures rather than just monitoring behavior. She explores how digital platforms shape perceptions of sexual assault and victimization, advocating for comprehensive sexual education and open conversations around ethics and consent in the digital age.
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insights INSIGHT
Youth Tech Use Reveals Social Norms
Youth adopt technology faster but often lack sophistication, leading to mistakes that reveal their norms and intentions.
Studying youth digital behavior offers insights into broader cultural gender norms and sexual ethics in formative stages.
insights INSIGHT
Rape Culture Shapes Peer Norms
Rape culture normalizes male sexual aggression and trivializes sexual violence through myths and victim blaming.
This culture shapes harmful peer norms where boys feel entitled and girls are expected to manage male desire.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Advocate Early Sex and Digital Ethics
Teach sex education with a robust sexual ethics framework starting in grade school.
Integrate digital ethics education to help youth understand consent and respect in online contexts.
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Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest
Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest
Reconstructing the Mississippi River
Michael O. Johnston
The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla
The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla
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Michael O. Johnston
When Rape Goes Viral
When Rape Goes Viral
Anna Gjika
Anna Gjika's "When Rape Goes Viral" examines the complex intersection of teenage life, social media, and sexual assault. The book delves into the reasons behind the filming and distribution of sexual violence, exploring the motivations of perpetrators and bystanders. Gjika challenges the simplistic notion of technological determinism, arguing that the use of technology is intertwined with identity performance and peer dynamics. The book uses case studies to illustrate how social media facilitates the normalization of harmful behaviors and the perpetuation of rape culture. Ultimately, "When Rape Goes Viral" calls for a critical examination of social media's role in shaping attitudes towards sexual violence and the need for improved legal responses.
Stories of teen sexting scandals, cyberbullying, and image-based sexual abuse have become commonplace fixtures of the digital age, with many adults struggling to identify ways to monitor young people's digital engagement. In When Rape Goes Viral: Youth and Sexual Assault in the Digital Age(Univ of California Press, 2023), Anna Gjika argues that rather than focusing on surveillance, we should examine such incidents for what they tell us about youth peer cultures and the gender norms and sexual ethics governing their interactions. Drawing from interviews with teens and high-profile cases of mediated juvenile sexual assault, Gjika exposes the deeply unequal and heteronormative power dynamics informing teens' intimate relationships and online practices, and she critically interrogates the role of digital cultures and broader social values in sanctioning abuse. The book also explores the consequences of social media and digital evidence for young victim-survivors and perpetrators of sexual assault, detailing the paradoxical capacities of technology for social and legal responses to gender-based violence.
Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. is a Assistant Professor of Sociology at William Penn University. He is the author of The Social Construction of a Cultural Spectacle: Floatzilla (Lexington Books, 2023) and Community Media Representations of Place and Identity at Tug Fest: Reconstructing the Mississippi River (Lexington Books, 2022). His general area of study is at the intersection of space, behavior, and identity. He is currently conducting research on: 1.) escape rooms 2.) the use of urban design in downtown historical neighborhoods of rural communities. To learn more about Michael O. Johnston you can go to his personal website, Google Scholar, Bluesky (@professorjohnst.bsky.social), Twitter (@ProfessorJohnst), or by email (johnstonmo@wmpenn.edu)
New Books in Science, Technology, and Society