It would be almost a relief if this algorithmic male gaze really was centered in the form of mysterious bad guy incels coding behind a screen, but in reality these algorithms are self-coding. They build upon the behavioral foundations established by vast swathes of society.

The bad guys are ALL guys who gravitate toward and reward pornofied, objectified female content without giving it any thought whatsoever. Every click, every comment, every follow, and every half second of attention given to this kind of content forms a piece of the problem - and forms part of the whole beast that is the patriarchal male view. Women like me also contribute by rewarding this content with our carefully measured (and collected) time and attention.

Assigning blame to an unseen Other removes “average” males’ culpability and grants you mental and emotional distance. Instead, I think we all need to at least consider the possibility that we are part of the problem and adjust our viewing/digital habits accordingly. It’s OUR responsibility to make the online world safe for young people. Social media is here to stay. We, the consumers and the data points behind the algorithms, must demand accountability from both corporations and ourselves.