HYDERABAD: If you are a woman using Facebook, you are less likely to come across paid advertisements when compared to men. Data from the social media giant’s Ad Library initiative shows that most leaders from both regional and national parties contesting in the State prefer to reach the male electorate through their advertisements.
For instance, a gender-skew is quite evident at Chevella Lok Sabha constituency. TRS candidate Ranjith Reddy has spent around 29,251 on around 34 advertisement, a majority of which are targeted at men. An introductory video on Reddy was shown by Facebook algorithms only to men; 48 per cent of viewers were in the age group of 25-34 years, 30 per cent in the 18-24 age-group and the remaining 19 per cent in the 35- 60 age-group. Even advertisements talking about Reddy’s background in the healthcare sector, a rather gender neutral topic, were shown to more men than women.
Congress candidate from Chevella, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, too seems to have a similar strategy. The incumbent MP has spent around 2.69 lakh on around 49 advertisements on Facebook. Most of them, were targeted at men. For instance, one of his advertisements about developmental work at a local masjid were shown to only 12 per cent women in the 18-34 age-group.
Advertisements of a FB page called ‘Telangana for Modi’ are also targeted mainly at men.
An advertisement comparing the Modi and UPA regimes was shown primarily to men, with only 1 per cent of women viewers. Another page, called ‘For BJP Telangana’, where BJP leader Smriti Irani is shown to be speaking about her competition with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is also targeted, oddly, at men.
The fact that men are targeted more than women, in spite of the fact that women outnumber them in 10 constituencies in Telangana, is quite unnerving. Experts note that women perhaps vote as they are instructed to by male family members. Some speculate the possibility of women in tier 2,3 cities not getting access to social media. This is one reason data activists have found social media advertisements problematic.
“Unlike traditional advertisement, politicians can now target a specific demographic. Algorithms now allow politicians to choose who they want to show something — men, women, Brahmins, Dalits,” says Kiran Chandra, General Secretary of Free Software Movement of India.