Johanna Blakley: Social media and the end of gender

http://www.ted.com Media and advertising companies still use the same old demographics to understand audiences, but they're becoming increasingly harder to track online, says media researcher Johanna Blakley. As social media outgrows traditional media, and women users outnumber men, Blakley explains what changes are in store for the future of media.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Gambit Garrison]

I think she totally misses the point of advertising. The ad firms want to mold you into what they want you to be - a mindless consumer, running around buying what they tell you to buy. They've never truly given a rats ass about which demographic you fit into - only what they could manipulate you into believing about yourself. As for media in general, they are only interested in swaying public opinion to think in very stereotypical ways - nevermind who you really are.

[Batlas]

I thought this was suppose to be about the end of gender... Not how women are going to take over the social media market. What a fail title.

[avedic]

Im confused....what pissed people off so much about this talk? Makes pretty good sense to me. It's all about breaking down demographic assumptions. What on earth am I missing?

[Hagunemnon]

I paused Amon Amarth for this? You won't end "gender," because you won't end people making assumptions about one another, whether asinine or not. Are gender roles strict, to be enforced at all times? No. Are they immutable? No. But, you can't dismantle a fundamental part of the human fucking mind thru Facebook. Go ask someone with GID if they think gender will be phased out by social media. Watch how long they laugh at you before saying "no."

[osirisx238]

"I think that women are actually going to be, ironically enough, responsible for driving a stake through the heart of cheesy sort of genre categories like the chick flick."

-Johanna Blakley

Yes because we have seen that before with other media that women the majority consumers like music and television, right? Maybe someone should make this woman read and then watch the 'Twilight Series'

[jane - lee Gouws]

Love it

[Valerie Smith]

Women (or woman Identifying people) LIKE A LOT MORE THAN CHEESY CHICK FLICK BULLSHIT. Yes, some love that, but people are SO MUCH MORE DIVERSE THAN THAAAAAAAAT

[ilovecoffeev]

I am a chick that HATES chick flicks, just saying.Action horror scifi please :D

[ianman6]

Why?

[ianman6]

I think you're missing the point about people. They're a little smarter than you give them credit.

[Pemphetru]

well... this is ted. every one is allowed to talk.