Over the past few weeks we’ve discussed a few very interesting topics on #HTT. I must say I looked forward to this topic in particular mainly because there seems to be a lot of talk about male bloggers recently.
So last week we discussed…
DO MALE AND FEMALE BLOGGERS HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BLOGOSPHERE?
The voices involved in last week’s discussion all had the same opinion about this topic. Contrary to what you’re probably thinking, Yes! Male and Female bloggers do have the same opportunities in the blogosphere. Even in Nigeria!
However, over the course of our discussion we established that in Nigeria, blogging is seen mainly as a hobby. It is also perceived to be a female’s job. Therefore, while there are indeed the same opportunities for both sexes, a lot of male bloggers might be too scared or too shy to put themselves out there as bloggers. A lot of people in Nigeria also think of bloggers as people who have nothing ‘better’ to do with their time. Hence, a man shouldn’t have time to blog. In other words, a man shouldn’t be jobless enough to blog. Sounds harsh right? but sadly it’s the truth. One of the contributors from last week’s discussion (Hi Mercy!) even mentioned that she had witnessed a situation where a guy was treated differently because he blogs.
Nonetheless, times are changing and the society’s perception of blogging is changing. Things are becoming better and people are becoming more aware and accepting of bloggers. People know a bit more about what blogging is all about and what it entails. Society is also becoming more acquainted with the opportunities that lie within the blogosphere. So, while blogging may be a hobby for some to others, it is a source of living and this is becoming more common in Nigeria .
It was also highlighted that the Nigerian blogosphere appears to be dominated by females mainly because most popular blogs within the country either focus on fashion, beauty or lifestyle. We all know that these 3 things are aspects of life that are of greater interest to women. Hence, the content put out there is usually by females for females. Therefore, there is a lack of content for the opposite gender and so blogs and blogging appeals mainly to females. This is not to say that men don’t care about fashion or beauty too but if we had male bloggers who worked on establishing blogs that focus on things that are of interest to men, then we’ll have more men reading blogs and blogging will be more widely accepted.
So, what were our main conclusions from the discussion?
- The the blogosphere itself is not sexist towards male or female bloggers – but society might be.
- While the blogosphere might not be sexist, there are so many other aspects of life that can be and should be explored by male bloggers.
So that was it really. The Nigerian blogosphere isn’t sexist but there’s a lot more that can be done.
If you enjoyed reading this recap then why not join the conversation live every Thursday on the Hot Topic Thursday forum from 7pm t0 9pm!
I hope to see you there!
Demi x