The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram
Situated within the theoretical work of Giddens and others on the role of expertise in contemporary society, this article evaluates the Instagram accounts of six dating-themed influencers. We seek to understand the role and strategies of these “new experts” in presenting, evaluating, and responding...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Social Media + Society |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251340514 |
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| _version_ | 1850151440011493376 |
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| author | Joanna Large Natasha Mulvihill |
| author_facet | Joanna Large Natasha Mulvihill |
| author_sort | Joanna Large |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Situated within the theoretical work of Giddens and others on the role of expertise in contemporary society, this article evaluates the Instagram accounts of six dating-themed influencers. We seek to understand the role and strategies of these “new experts” in presenting, evaluating, and responding to contemporary heterosexual dating harms. Our analysis is informed by the existing literature on digital feminism, gendered abuse, and conceptions of harm, but also recognizes how social media marketing strategies shapes the expertise provided. We conclude that while the emerging expert discourses around online dating seek ostensibly to advocate for women, they are contradictory, likely to contribute to social anxiety, and could risk diluting and individualizing the material reality of abuse. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9e207c9aeb84438daf45f64112501332 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2056-3051 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Media + Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-9e207c9aeb84438daf45f641125013322025-08-20T02:26:15ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512025-05-011110.1177/20563051251340514The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on InstagramJoanna Large0Natasha Mulvihill1University of Bristol, UKUniversity of Bristol, UKSituated within the theoretical work of Giddens and others on the role of expertise in contemporary society, this article evaluates the Instagram accounts of six dating-themed influencers. We seek to understand the role and strategies of these “new experts” in presenting, evaluating, and responding to contemporary heterosexual dating harms. Our analysis is informed by the existing literature on digital feminism, gendered abuse, and conceptions of harm, but also recognizes how social media marketing strategies shapes the expertise provided. We conclude that while the emerging expert discourses around online dating seek ostensibly to advocate for women, they are contradictory, likely to contribute to social anxiety, and could risk diluting and individualizing the material reality of abuse.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251340514 |
| spellingShingle | Joanna Large Natasha Mulvihill The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram Social Media + Society |
| title | The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram |
| title_full | The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram |
| title_fullStr | The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram |
| title_full_unstemmed | The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram |
| title_short | The New Experts of Online Dating: Feminism, Advice, and Harm on Instagram |
| title_sort | new experts of online dating feminism advice and harm on instagram |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251340514 |
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