The internet has many issues
+ Hate Speech + Shitstorms + Filter bubbles + Online Harassment + Fake New + Misinformation + Sexist messages and comments + Content-creators are mainly men + Lack of inclusivity of feminist content + Instagram censoring nipples + Gender and race-based violence online + Public conversations are male-dominated spaces + Sexist content & sexist ads + Pink & Rainbow-Washing + (Upload)-Filter + Gamergate: Sexist gamer communitie + Mansplaining of technical content + Anti-Feminist troll armees that are racist and sexist + Male users dominate online debates + Men retweeting men + Spa + Less freedom of expression + Memes: reproduction of sexist popcultur + Lack of verified information + Endless discussions without compromises on social media + Invisible work: who takes care of taking harmful content down + Censorship of content related to women's and queer bodies and sexualit + Oversaturation and information burnout on social media + Removal of artistic expression + Content take down + Internet shut down + Account take down, especially of many artists, performers and sex workers that rely on these platforms for a living + Lack of media literacy + Corporate saturaturatio + Lack of democratic media and true participatory medi + Gender bias of information provided on the internet + Manipulatio + Gender and generational gaps, especially in rural area + Lack of representation of marginalized communit + Invisibility - many amazing women but not enough visibility of their work + Normative and stereotyped content about women + Truefruits: Advertisements reinforce stereotypes + Not enough black and poc women in tech + Reproduction of stereotypes + White, male developers + Chaos Computer Club is very white and male + Algorithms reinforce categorical thinking + Women in games are often displayed sexualised and weak + Instagram and influencer reinforce stereotypes of beautiful women that love consumerism + YouTube’s algorithms reproduce gender stereotypes + Discrimination through artificial intelligence + Lack of feminist, diverse porn + Community standards and general terms and conditions lack gender focus + Lack of Consent + Private groups on FB share women’s images without consent + Body Shaming + Gender binaries + Period shaming + Revenge & Deep Porn + Unwanted dickpicks + Body Ideals + Photoshopped images + Objectification + Marketing of dietary products + A hegemonic porn culture that doesn't care about trafficking victims + Inter and Intracommunity normalized forms of violence + Surveillance of behaviour + Surveillance as a way to control female bodies + Lack of privacy + Doxxing and stalking displace women from their spaces + Anonymity allows for bullying + Use of energy + Disparate distribution of resources + Discriminatory dataset + Monopolisation of knowledge + Lack of knowledge-generation by women + Language barriers for minorities + Language inequity and how it restricts access to important information (too much English everywhere!) + Tech tutorials are by men, beauty tutorials by women + Silencing of Wikipedia-discourses of women* and minorities + Mandatory questionnaires on gender + Wikipedia articles are written mainly by men + No gender-aware language in editing software or search engines + Feminist perspectives beyond #metoo are not part of the mainstream discourse on the internet + Insufficient promotion of critical thinking + Lack of safe spaces + Digital platforms are unable to meet the complexity of feminist topics + Space without legal frameworks + Not enough spaces for introverts - where is the cozy internet? + Corporate control of too many online spaces + Fake Agency of platforms + Centralized control by platforms and governments + Attacks to activists + Silicon Valley + White males design infrastructure + Few places to truly connect with people + Lack of access in rural areas + Lack of empathy + The feeling of shame that keeps people from being comfortable with the internet + Internet economy which reinforces and stems from the current gendered global economic structure + Lack of transparency and control of the usage of data + Capitalism makes it easy for large corporations to monetize + Data extraction of social media platforms + Algorithmic bias
+ Revenge & Deep Porn + Unwanted dickpicks + Body Ideals + Photoshopped images + Objectification + Marketing of dietary products + A hegemonic porn culture that doesn't care about trafficking victims + Inter and Intracommunity normalized forms of violence + Surveillance of behaviour + Surveillance as a way to control female bodies + Lack of privacy + Doxxing and stalking displace women from their spaces + Anonymity allows for bullying + Use of energy + Disparate distribution of resources + Discriminatory dataset + Monopolisation of knowledge + Lack of knowledge-generation by women + Language barriers for minorities + Language inequity and how it restricts access to important information (too much English everywhere!) + Tech tutorials are by men, beauty tutorials by women + Silencing of Wikipedia-discourses of women* and minorities + Mandatory questionnaires on gender + Wikipedia articles are written mainly by men + No gender-aware language in editing software or search engines + Feminist perspectives beyond #metoo are not part of the mainstream discourse on the internet + Insufficient promotion of critical thinking + Lack of safe spaces + Digital platforms are unable to meet the complexity of feminist topics + Space without legal frameworks + Not enough spaces for introverts - where is the cozy internet? + Corporate control of too many online spaces + Fake Agency of platforms + Centralized control by platforms and governments + Attacks to activists + Silicon Valley + White males design infrastructure + Few places to truly connect with people + Lack of access in rural areas + Lack of empathy + The feeling of shame that keeps people from being comfortable with the internet + Internet economy which reinforces and stems from the current gendered global economic structure + Lack of transparency and control of the usage of data + Capitalism makes it easy for large corporations to monetize + Data extraction of social media platforms + Algorithmic bias + Hate Speech + Shitstorms + Filter bubbles + Online Harassment + Fake New + Misinformation + Sexist messages and comments + Content-creators are mainly men + Lack of inclusivity of feminist content + Instagram censoring nipples + Gender and race-based violence online + Public conversations are male-dominated spaces + Sexist content & sexist ads + Pink & Rainbow-Washing + (Upload)-Filter + Gamergate: Sexist gamer communitie + Mansplaining of technical content + Anti-Feminist troll armees that are racist and sexist + Male users dominate online debates + Men retweeting men + Spa + Less freedom of expression + Memes: reproduction of sexist popcultur + Lack of verified information + Endless discussions without compromises on social media + Invisible work: who takes care of taking harmful content down + Censorship of content related to women's and queer bodies and sexualit + Oversaturation and information burnout on social media + Removal of artistic expression + Content take down + Internet shut down + Account take down, especially of many artists, performers and sex workers that rely on these platforms for a living + Lack of media literacy + Corporate saturaturatio + Lack of democratic media and true participatory medi + Gender bias of information provided on the internet + Manipulatio + Gender and generational gaps, especially in rural area + Lack of representation of marginalized communities + Invisibility - many amazing women but not enough visibility of their work + Normative and stereotyped content about women + Truefruits: Advertisements reinforce stereotypes + Not enough black and poc women in tech + Reproduction of stereotypes + White, male developers + Chaos Computer Club is very white and male + Algorithms reinforce categorical thinking + Women in games are often displayed sexualised and weak + Instagram and influencer reinforce stereotypes of beautiful women that love consumerism + YouTube’s algorithms reproduce gender stereotypes + Discrimination through artificial intelligence + Lack of feminist, diverse porn + Community standards and general terms and conditions lack gender focus + Lack of Consent + Private groups on FB share women’s images without consent + Body Shaming + Gender binaries + Period shaming
+ Internet shut down + Account take down, especially of many artists, performers and sex workers that rely on these platforms for a living + Lack of media literacy + Corporate saturaturatio + Lack of democratic media and true participatory medi + Gender bias of information provided on the internet + Manipulatio + Gender and generational gaps, especially in rural area + Lack of representation of marginalized communit + Invisibility - many amazing women but not enough visibility of their work + Normative and stereotyped content about women + Truefruits: Advertisements reinforce stereotypes + Not enough black and poc women in tech + Reproduction of stereotypes + White, male developers + Chaos Computer Club is very white and male + Algorithms reinforce categorical thinking + Women in games are often displayed sexualised and weak + Instagram and influencer reinforce stereotypes of beautiful women that love consumerism + YouTube’s algorithms reproduce gender stereotypes + Discrimination through artificial intelligence + Lack of feminist, diverse porn + Community standards and general terms and conditions lack gender focus + Lack of Consent + Private groups on FB share women’s images without consent + Body Shaming + Gender binaries + Period shaming + Revenge & Deep Porn + Unwanted dickpicks + Body Ideals + Photoshopped images + Objectification + Marketing of dietary products + A hegemonic porn culture that doesn't care about trafficking victims + Inter and Intracommunity normalized forms of violence + Surveillance of behaviour + Surveillance as a way to control female bodies + Lack of privacy + Doxxing and stalking displace women from their spaces + Anonymity allows for bullying + Use of energy + Disparate distribution of resources + Discriminatory dataset + Monopolisation of knowledge + Lack of knowledge-generation by women + Language barriers for minorities + Language inequity and how it restricts access to important information (too much English everywhere!) + Tech tutorials are by men, beauty tutorials by women + Silencing of Wikipedia-discourses of women* and minorities + Mandatory questionnaires on gender + Wikipedia articles are written mainly by men + No gender-aware language in editing software or search engines + Feminist perspectives beyond #metoo are not part of the mainstream discourse on the internet + Insufficient promotion of critical thinking + Lack of safe spaces + Digital platforms are unable to meet the complexity of feminist topics + Space without legal frameworks + Not enough spaces for introverts - where is the cozy internet? + Corporate control of too many online spaces + Fake Agency of platforms + Centralized control by platforms and governments + Attacks to activists + Silicon Valley + White males design infrastructure + Few places to truly connect with people + Lack of access in rural areas + Lack of empathy + The feeling of shame that keeps people from being comfortable with the internet + Internet economy which reinforces and stems from the current gendered global economic structure + Lack of transparency and control of the usage of data + Capitalism makes it easy for large corporations to monetize + Data extraction of social media platforms + Algorithmic bias + Hate Speech + Shitstorms + Filter bubbles + Online Harassment + Fake New + Misinformation + Sexist messages and comments + Content-creators are mainly men + Lack of inclusivity of feminist content + Instagram censoring nipples + Gender and race-based violence online + Public conversations are male-dominated spaces + Sexist content & sexist ads + Pink & Rainbow-Washing + (Upload)-Filter + Gamergate: Sexist gamer communitie + Mansplaining of technical content + Anti-Feminist troll armees that are racist and sexist + Male users dominate online debates + Men retweeting men + Spa + Less freedom of expression + Memes: reproduction of sexist popcultur + Lack of verified information + Endless discussions without compromises on social media + Invisible work: who takes care of taking harmful content down + Censorship of content related to women's and queer bodies and sexualit + Oversaturation and information burnout on social media + Removal of artistic expression + Content take down
That’s why we need feminist futures
Twenty years ago the internet was conceived as an open technology that would bring equality and freedom. Today, it is a space structured by patriarchal, capitalist practices: surveillance, digital colonialism, misinformation, or sexism - just to name a few. How can we fight these inequalities and initiate social change?
Talking about the future is political and important. Whoever raises their voices has the possibility to shape the future. Right now, the voices most heard are white, male, and from Silicon Valley. But: is this really the future we all want to live in?
Feminist Futures is an ongoing participatory art project that retells the future internet from an intersectional feminist perspective. The project aims to diversify and open up the narrative of the future of the internet. In workshops, participants identify current problems of the internet and answer them in creative writing exercises through feminist science fiction. The goal is to imagine socially desirable, and not technologically possible futures.
Talking about the future is political and important. Whoever raises their voices has the possibility to shape the future. Right now, the voices most heard are white, male, and from Silicon Valley. But: is this really the future we all want to live in?
Feminist Futures is an ongoing participatory art project that retells the future internet from an intersectional feminist perspective. The project aims to diversify and open up the narrative of the future of the internet. In workshops, participants identify current problems of the internet and answer them in creative writing exercises through feminist science fiction. The goal is to imagine socially desirable, and not technologically possible futures.