Although access to digital media is widely available today, there are still inequalities in media use in terms of educational level, age, social status, and gender. This project examines how the gender gap shows itself in the use of digital media and which role images, norms, and gender stereotypes are either reproduced or challenged in media such as, e.g., games, social networks, and influencer culture.

The project draws on contradictory findings from quantitative usage statistics and practical experiences from Social Work, for example with regard to gaming, social media use, and risks such as excessive or digital violence. Using methods such as qualitative guided interviews, ethnographies/netnographies, artefact analyses, or webscraping, it is possible to analyse and critically question the subjective perspectives of adolescents and students as well as the presentations and values of actors.

The goal is to make gender inequalities visible, analyse media-specific socialisation from a gender perspective, and deduce needs for action that are relevant for Social Pedagogy. In this way, the project is supposed to contribute to promoting more differentiated gender and media competence in Social Pedagogy.