Work

Platform-Specific Masculinities: The Evolution of Gender Representation in Indonesian Reality Shows Across Television and Digital Media

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the transformation of masculine representation across television and digital platforms in Indonesian reality shows. We identified distinct patterns of masculine representation emerging across platforms through a mixed-method analysis of 240 h of television programming, 1100 digital media items, and survey data from 1000 respondents. Our study reveals a significant decline in traditional masculine representations from 85% to 30% between 2019 and 2024, accompanied by the rise of “platform-specific masculinities”. The research identifies three primary categories: traditional (dominated by competitive achievement), emotional (characterized by interpersonal connection), and creativity (marked by innovative self-expression). Digital platforms demonstrate higher engagement rates for emotional (380 k interactions) and creative content (320 k interactions) compared to traditional representations (180 k interactions), particularly among younger audiences (18–24). While television maintains predominantly traditional representations (65%), digital platforms, especially TikTok, show higher proportions of emotional (42%) and creative (45%) expressions. These findings contribute to understanding how platform characteristics influence gender representation and suggest implications for media production in Southeast Asia.

Source: Journalism and Media

DOI: 10.3390/journalmedia6010038

Authors: Alem Febri Sonni, Vinanda Cinta Cendekia Putri, Muhammad Akbar, Irwanto Irwanto

Institutions: Hasanuddin University, Binus University

Language: English

Topic: Media, Gender, and Advertising

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207