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Digital ethics from a gender perspective: Media literacy and the representation of deviant behaviour on social media

GENDER EQUALITY: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies · Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 177–196

DOI
10.22373/equality.v12i1.33037
ISSN
2548-1959, 2461-1468
Published
2026-03-31
Publisher
UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

This study aims to analyse digital literacy among social media users from a gender perspective. The rapid development of communication technology, particularly the emergence of social media, has transformed human interaction from limited offline spaces into boundless online environments. On the one hand, this transformation enables individuals to connect with a wider audience and access vast amounts of information. On the other hand, it has also given rise to various issues, including violations of digital ethics, the spread of misinformation, and the presence of deviant behaviours on social media platforms. Strong digital literacy is essential to prevent the normalization of such deviations, particularly those related to gender issues in digital spaces, in order to foster a healthier online environment. Users are expected to critically evaluate misinformation, reject gender bias, and contribute to creating safe and ethical social media spaces. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method, examining social media phenomena and conducting interviews with 32 participants. The findings indicate that participants actively reject gender-related deviant content by reporting inappropriate accounts, maintaining their privacy, and critically assessing circulating content. Furthermore, this study recommends strengthening digital literacy through ethical awareness, mental health considerations, and balanced social media usage. Users are encouraged to engage with social media according to their needs, avoid excessive use, and report content containing elements of deviance, including gender-related deviations.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

22 authors · 56 co-authorship links · 12 across different organisations

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry
  • Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bone
  • Hasanuddin University
  • STMIK Catur Sakti Kendari
  • Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta
  • Bandung Islamic University
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Hafied CangaraHasanuddin University1
Aulia SalsabilaAffiliation unknown1
Teuku BadlisyahAffiliation unknown1
Moula HarisaAffiliation unknown1
Ahmad Yusuf MubarakAffiliation unknown1
Rahmat ZuniAffiliation unknown1
Anzelia AnggrahiniAffiliation unknown1
Haris NawafiAffiliation unknown1
Fajri ChairawatiUniversitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry1
Sabirin SabirinSTMIK Catur Sakti Kendari1
Jasafat JasafatUniversitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry1
Rusnawati RusnawatiAffiliation unknown1
Muslihin SultanInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Bone1
Syawaluddin HanafiInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Bone1
Ahmad MuttaqinBandung Islamic University1
Alimin AliminSyarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/equality/oai, first harvested 7 Nov 2026, last seen 7 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Digital ethics from a gender perspective: Media literacy and the representation of deviant behaviour on social media</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Furqany, Syahril</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Sazali, Hasan</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Khatibah, Khatibah</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Ibrahim, Muhamad Shamsul bin</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Almuntarizi, Almuntarizi</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Azmy, Khairul</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Digital Literacy</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Gender</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Representation of Deviant Behavior</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Social Media</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Digital Ethics</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">This study aims to analyse digital literacy among social media users from a gender perspective. The rapid development of communication technology, particularly the emergence of social media, has transformed human interaction from limited offline spaces into boundless online environments. On the one hand, this transformation enables individuals to connect with a wider audience and access vast amounts of information. On the other hand, it has also given rise to various issues, including violations of digital ethics, the spread of misinformation, and the presence of deviant behaviours on social media platforms. Strong digital literacy is essential to prevent the normalization of such deviations, particularly those related to gender issues in digital spaces, in order to foster a healthier online environment. Users are expected to critically evaluate misinformation, reject gender bias, and contribute to creating safe and ethical social media spaces. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method, examining social media phenomena and conducting interviews with 32 participants. The findings indicate that participants actively reject gender-related deviant content by reporting inappropriate accounts, maintaining their privacy, and critically assessing circulating content. Furthermore, this study recommends strengthening digital literacy through ethical awareness, mental health considerations, and balanced social media usage. Users are encouraged to engage with social media according to their needs, avoid excessive use, and report content containing elements of deviance, including gender-related deviations.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">UIN Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-03-31</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/equality/article/view/33037</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.22373/equality.v12i1.33037</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">GENDER EQUALITY: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies; Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026); 177-196</dc:source>
	<dc:source xml:lang="id">INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHILD AND GENDER STUDIES; Vol 12 No 1 (2026); 177-196</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2548-1959</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2461-1468</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.22373/equality.v12i1</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/equality/article/view/33037/12670</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Syahril Furqany, Hasan Sazali, Khatibah Khatibah, Muhamad Shamsul bin Ibrahim, Almuntarizi Almuntarizi, Khairul Azmy</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
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