Examining Digital Hate: Gendered discursive strategies in online harassment of Pakistani influencers

Abstract

Online harassment targeting social media influencers has emerged as a critical behavioural phenomenon in the digital age. This study offers a critical analysis of the discursive strategies utilized in the online harassment of Pakistani social media influencers, with a particular focus on gendered patterns of abuse. It aims to examine whether male and female influencers experience different types of hate and criticism related to their physical appearance or sex. Employing a qualitative methodology, YouTube comments from four influencers (two males, two females) are analyzed using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis. The findings identify strategies including body shaming, sexual harassment, vulgar comments, mockery of personal life, character assassination, name-calling, accusations of scam and fraud, content criticism, death threats, religious criticism, and criticism of dressing. A comparative analysis of comments on male and female influencers reveals that female influencers disproportionately experience negative commentary focused on their attire, frequently amounting to sexual objectification and harassment. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of digital misogyny by examining the convergence of gender, culture, and online abuse within a South Asian framework, providing valuable insights for future studies in online harassment and discourse analysis.