The Managed Response: Digital Emotional Labor in Navigating Intersectional Cyber Aggression

Abstract

Researchers find abundant racism and sexism online; for many, such harassment is a feature of their everyday experience. Drawing on interviews with Black and Asian women, I investigate the ways individuals negotiate whether and how to respond to cyber aggression. While social media affords users novel resources for responding to hostility, being online does not remove the social expectations imposed. Balancing (sometimes unconsciously) the desire to confront racism/sexism with the digital emotional labor undertaken in responding, women describe how they choose to present themselves and determine when responses are worthwhile. Often, they respond online where in person they would not have been comfortable, while at other times, they choose nonreaction to protect their personal well-being. Elucidating the individual burden that Black and Asian women navigate in response to cyber aggression and the toll that comes from implementing their idealized responses is essential to comprehend the experiences and consequences of modern racism/sexism.