#GAReads | Study Unearths Gender Disparities in Twitter Influence
“Study Unearths Gender Disparities in Twitter Influence”:
Among a population of health policy and health services researchers who use Twitter, women appear to have less influence on the social media platform compared with men as measured by likes and retweets, according to a new study.
“Some have hoped that social media would help level the playing field in academic medicine by giving women an accessible and equitable platform on which to present themselves,” write lead author Jane Zhu, MD, MSHP (Oregon Health and Science University, Portland), and colleagues. “However, our findings—that women’s voices on Twitter appeared to be less influential and have less reach than men’s—suggest that these forums may do little to improve gender parity and may instead reinforce disparities.”