Sandra Ordonez is a web astronaut who specializes in digital strategy and collaboration. A passionate open source chica, she currently serves as external communications lead for Joomla!, and previously served as Wikipedia’s director of communication.
Few things bothered Sylvia Martinez more than what the web thought of her and other Latinas.
Martinez, a VP and digital content director at the recently launched Mamiverse.com that focuses on the coveted Latina mom market, has been combating one of the web’s dirty little secrets for years: Common web searches that include the word “Latina(s)” surface an inordinate number of porn sites.
In her many years working for Latina-focused sites, not only was it difficult for this industry veteran to ensure that her positive, Latina-empowering content be found when searched, but she was also tired of having to deal with the sleazy, sexual emails she and her colleagues routinely received as a result of this phenomenon.
“The online stereotype of the hyper-sexualized Latina is simply not true. Statistically, most Latinas are the exact opposite: smart moms with families. This is exactly why we launched Mamiverse — to fill the websphere with more content that is truly reflective of who we are,” Martinez said.
Martinez knows firsthand the effect this virtual reality has on the collective Latina consciousness, and society’s perception of them. While she admits there has been improvement in recent years, the sexualizing of the term “Latina” is still widely seen as a challenge, particularly considering the resources porn companies invest in digital strategy. An open-ended search with the word Latina on Netspeak, which provides a list of the most common searches for a particular word, confirms this reality.
Not surprisingly, “Latinas” are not the only group facing similar virtual challenges. A Google search of various “groups” resulted in what can be seen as equally stereotypical, either positively or negatively.
Top Three Search Results and Suggested Group Information
The following descriptions are based solely on meta site descriptions found after each title. The actual sites returned were not visited. This is only a sample of searches conducted.
Latinas: All three results are pornographic. Descriptors include “hot,” “young” and “legs wide open.” Seems to hint that women on 8th street, a historic street in an internationally-known Latin neighborhood in Miami, are sexy and “doable.” (Search for Latin women results in various dating sites for men seeking Latin women).
Latin Men: Since “Latinos” is used to describe an entire group of people, we used the term “Latin men.” One link is for a site that helps you secure a stripper or exotic dancer. The other two links are porn sites. Descriptors are a bit too pornographic to list in this article.
Asian Men: Two links for the “Angry Asian Man” blog and an article exploring whether Asian men are good in bed. Only descriptors are found in one sentence that directly addresses stereotype: “We all know the stories about Asian men’s sexual prowess, or the lack thereof, and the age old jokes about the ‘size issue.’”
Asian Women: Two links for organizations that provide Asian women with domestic violence support (NYAWC and SAKHI) and a dating/marriage site for single men looking for both Asian women and Asian girls. Only descriptor includes the word “survivor.”
Black Men: A Wikipedia article describing the term “black men,” an article explaining why white women prefer black men, and a link to Black Men Magazine, which seems to focus on pop culture and sexy women. No descriptors, but phrases include “racial” (comes up twice), “mugger button” and “Ink Candy Party.”
Black Women: A link to a “black women’s interracial marriage site,” a link to “Black Voices News and Opinion” on The Huffington Post and a Wikipedia article describing the term “black people.” Descriptors include “slaves” and “enslavers,” with a sentence describing them as “surviving.”
The Virtual Chicken or Egg Scenario
In an age where a large segment of the population shapes their perception of the world through information found online, one begs to question whether search results reflect stereotypes and discriminatory views already found in society or if they create them.
Search algorithms are designed to provide users with the most relevant information for a particular search term. Usually, numerous inbound links to a page can dramatically affect its search positioning. From this perspective, one could surmise that the information included in a well-performing page has been deemed relevant and informative by the collective web community. This would also imply that stereotypical and/or discriminatory information for group searches are also widely accepted or popular.
However, two caveats exist:
1. The Digital Divide: Haves & Have Nots
The web is not fully representative of society. Lack of technological tools and education prevent many from creating content online, and thus having their voice equally represented. Those most affected worldwide by the digital divide include women, people of color and the disabled. While the web may seem like a universal representation of ideas, in reality it is reflective of the values, philosophy and culture of a select group of people that share various similarities, such as access to technology.
2. The Virtual Lobbyists: SEO Specialists & Digital Strategists
SEO specialists and digital strategists serve as virtual lobbyists, fighting for special attention to their cause or company. Generally, the more money an organization can pump into improving SEO, SEM and social media, the better a website or page will perform.
The Game Changer: Content Activism
No one can dispute the effect Wikipedia has had on information, media literacy and how the world perceives events. Not only is it used as an online encyclopedia, but it has increasingly become a go-to source for information on breaking and developing news stories.
Understanding the site’s significance, the Wikimedia Foundation launched an effort to attract more women editors last year. Research revealed that only 13% of editors were women, with the site’s most common contributors consisting of highly educated, tech-savvy, white males. Considering that women account for half of the world’s population, these findings also suggest that articles are half complete, since the female perspective is missing. It also may suggest that the many web conversations are also half complete, since Wikipedia routinely comes up in many first page search results, if not accessed directly, by information seekers.
The changes Wikipedia has prompted are too many to list here, but it is a great example of how online information sharing has instantaneous, dramatic results on the “real world.” And information sharing for a specific issue is as powerful as both the number and quality of people behind it.
For example, the improvement Martinez cites above might be most reflective of the dramatic growth of Latinos online in recent years. In 2007, only 56% of Latinos went online as compared to 71% for Caucasians, and 60% for Blacks. By 2011, it is estimated by eMarketer that the percentage of Latinos will jump to 62.9%. The numbers are much higher for Latina moms, one of the fastest growing demographics online. According to Clickz, 82% of mid- and high-acculturated Latina moms are online.
We begin to see that one of the most effective types of activism a citizen can engage in is not a physical demonstration or even a monetary donation, but rather producing online content and connecting with like-minded individuals on the web. While this form of activism may appear passive, it has proven effective at creating real cultural change that sticks. Instead of being marketed to, individuals are given a variety of information to make their own decisions. Thus, in this context, the result of that interaction is quite dependent on the quality of information available to them online.
When it comes to Latinas, more sites like Mamiverse might be what the doctor ordered to tip the perception of Latinas, both online and offline, toward a more positive and accurate image. It is this burgeoning spirit of content activism that might be the most important for the world’s new breed of humanitarians, civil rights activists and others focused on justice.
“Both Latinas, and the web in general, need more sites like ours,” Martinez said. “Mamiverse represents a virtual mirror that reflects the true nature of our lives, which are often challenging, humorous and awe-inspiring — and not smutty.”
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sam74100
More About: content, discrimination, gender, race, SearchFor more Social Media coverage:Follow Mashable Social Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Social Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:41:36 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/u-BDBLDixpM/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/23/search-cultural-bias/#comments
Few things bothered Sylvia Martinez more than what the web thought of her and other Latinas.
Martinez, a VP and digital content director at the recently launched Mamiverse.com that focuses on the coveted Latina mom market, has been combating one of the web’s dirty little secrets for years: Common web searches that include the word “Latina(s)” surface an inordinate number of porn sites.
In her many years working for Latina-focused sites, not only was it difficult for this industry veteran to ensure that her positive, Latina-empowering content be found when searched, but she was also tired of having to deal with the sleazy, sexual emails she and her colleagues routinely received as a result of this phenomenon.
“The online stereotype of the hyper-sexualized Latina is simply not true. Statistically, most Latinas are the exact opposite: smart moms with families. This is exactly why we launched Mamiverse — to fill the websphere with more content that is truly reflective of who we are,” Martinez said.
Martinez knows firsthand the effect this virtual reality has on the collective Latina consciousness, and society’s perception of them. While she admits there has been improvement in recent years, the sexualizing of the term “Latina” is still widely seen as a challenge, particularly considering the resources porn companies invest in digital strategy. An open-ended search with the word Latina on Netspeak, which provides a list of the most common searches for a particular word, confirms this reality.
Not surprisingly, “Latinas” are not the only group facing similar virtual challenges. A Google search of various “groups” resulted in what can be seen as equally stereotypical, either positively or negatively.
Top Three Search Results and Suggested Group Information
The following descriptions are based solely on meta site descriptions found after each title. The actual sites returned were not visited. This is only a sample of searches conducted.
Latinas: All three results are pornographic. Descriptors include “hot,” “young” and “legs wide open.” Seems to hint that women on 8th street, a historic street in an internationally-known Latin neighborhood in Miami, are sexy and “doable.” (Search for Latin women results in various dating sites for men seeking Latin women).
Latin Men: Since “Latinos” is used to describe an entire group of people, we used the term “Latin men.” One link is for a site that helps you secure a stripper or exotic dancer. The other two links are porn sites. Descriptors are a bit too pornographic to list in this article.
Asian Men: Two links for the “Angry Asian Man” blog and an article exploring whether Asian men are good in bed. Only descriptors are found in one sentence that directly addresses stereotype: “We all know the stories about Asian men’s sexual prowess, or the lack thereof, and the age old jokes about the ‘size issue.’”
Asian Women: Two links for organizations that provide Asian women with domestic violence support (NYAWC and SAKHI) and a dating/marriage site for single men looking for both Asian women and Asian girls. Only descriptor includes the word “survivor.”
Black Men: A Wikipedia article describing the term “black men,” an article explaining why white women prefer black men, and a link to Black Men Magazine, which seems to focus on pop culture and sexy women. No descriptors, but phrases include “racial” (comes up twice), “mugger button” and “Ink Candy Party.”
Black Women: A link to a “black women’s interracial marriage site,” a link to “Black Voices News and Opinion” on The Huffington Post and a Wikipedia article describing the term “black people.” Descriptors include “slaves” and “enslavers,” with a sentence describing them as “surviving.”
The Virtual Chicken or Egg Scenario
In an age where a large segment of the population shapes their perception of the world through information found online, one begs to question whether search results reflect stereotypes and discriminatory views already found in society or if they create them.
Search algorithms are designed to provide users with the most relevant information for a particular search term. Usually, numerous inbound links to a page can dramatically affect its search positioning. From this perspective, one could surmise that the information included in a well-performing page has been deemed relevant and informative by the collective web community. This would also imply that stereotypical and/or discriminatory information for group searches are also widely accepted or popular.
However, two caveats exist:
1. The Digital Divide: Haves & Have Nots
The web is not fully representative of society. Lack of technological tools and education prevent many from creating content online, and thus having their voice equally represented. Those most affected worldwide by the digital divide include women, people of color and the disabled. While the web may seem like a universal representation of ideas, in reality it is reflective of the values, philosophy and culture of a select group of people that share various similarities, such as access to technology.
2. The Virtual Lobbyists: SEO Specialists & Digital Strategists
SEO specialists and digital strategists serve as virtual lobbyists, fighting for special attention to their cause or company. Generally, the more money an organization can pump into improving SEO, SEM and social media, the better a website or page will perform.
The Game Changer: Content Activism
No one can dispute the effect Wikipedia has had on information, media literacy and how the world perceives events. Not only is it used as an online encyclopedia, but it has increasingly become a go-to source for information on breaking and developing news stories.
Understanding the site’s significance, the Wikimedia Foundation launched an effort to attract more women editors last year. Research revealed that only 13% of editors were women, with the site’s most common contributors consisting of highly educated, tech-savvy, white males. Considering that women account for half of the world’s population, these findings also suggest that articles are half complete, since the female perspective is missing. It also may suggest that the many web conversations are also half complete, since Wikipedia routinely comes up in many first page search results, if not accessed directly, by information seekers.
The changes Wikipedia has prompted are too many to list here, but it is a great example of how online information sharing has instantaneous, dramatic results on the “real world.” And information sharing for a specific issue is as powerful as both the number and quality of people behind it.
For example, the improvement Martinez cites above might be most reflective of the dramatic growth of Latinos online in recent years. In 2007, only 56% of Latinos went online as compared to 71% for Caucasians, and 60% for Blacks. By 2011, it is estimated by eMarketer that the percentage of Latinos will jump to 62.9%. The numbers are much higher for Latina moms, one of the fastest growing demographics online. According to Clickz, 82% of mid- and high-acculturated Latina moms are online.
We begin to see that one of the most effective types of activism a citizen can engage in is not a physical demonstration or even a monetary donation, but rather producing online content and connecting with like-minded individuals on the web. While this form of activism may appear passive, it has proven effective at creating real cultural change that sticks. Instead of being marketed to, individuals are given a variety of information to make their own decisions. Thus, in this context, the result of that interaction is quite dependent on the quality of information available to them online.
When it comes to Latinas, more sites like Mamiverse might be what the doctor ordered to tip the perception of Latinas, both online and offline, toward a more positive and accurate image. It is this burgeoning spirit of content activism that might be the most important for the world’s new breed of humanitarians, civil rights activists and others focused on justice.
“Both Latinas, and the web in general, need more sites like ours,” Martinez said. “Mamiverse represents a virtual mirror that reflects the true nature of our lives, which are often challenging, humorous and awe-inspiring — and not smutty.”
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sam74100
More About: content, discrimination, gender, race, SearchFor more Social Media coverage:Follow Mashable Social Media on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Social Media channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:41:36 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/u-BDBLDixpM/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/23/search-cultural-bias/#comments
