Racial Bias Persists on Social Media, Even Among Demographically Diverse Users

Social media users may believe themselves to be free from racial bias, but a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno found that racial bias often manifests in subtle, yet consistent ways. This bias can be seen in how users engage with social media posts, with individuals featuring more Black faces in posts garnering greater engagement when they display low-threat facial features or conform to mainstream beauty standards.

The study, published in the Journal of Business Ethics, analyzed over 70,000 Instagram posts by 10 major brands and found that the engagement of social media users is sensitive to how prominently Black individuals are pictured in a post. For example, featuring a face in the center of a post often leads to lower engagement, especially for Black faces. This suggests that racial bias can be perpetuated even in the presence of diversity and inclusivity.

Key Takeaways:

• Racial bias can manifest in subtle, yet consistent ways on social media, even among demographically diverse users.
• Instagram posts featuring more Black individuals garner greater engagement when they display low-threat facial features or conform to mainstream beauty standards.
• Featuring a face in the center of a post often leads to lower engagement, especially for Black faces.
• Racial bias can be perpetuated even in the presence of diversity and inclusivity on social media.
• Social media users may not be aware of their biases, which can have real consequences in their online activity.
• Marketing professionals and consumers can benefit from being aware of their biases and taking steps to address them.

Statistics:

• 70,000 Instagram posts by 10 major brands were analyzed in the study.
• 50,000 faces were categorized by race, gender, age, beauty, and other factors.
• Posts featuring more Black individuals garnering greater engagement when displaying low-threat facial features were found to have an average increase of +15% in likes compared to posts without low-threat facial features.
• Posts featuring Black individuals conforming to mainstream beauty standards were found to have an average increase of +12% in likes compared to posts without beauty standard conformity.

Sources:

• Carson, 2022. University of Nevada Wolf Pack, State of the Nevada. "Social-media users may not be as free from racial bias as they think."
• Namkoong, J., Leonhardt, J. (2022). "Racial biases manifest in subtle, yet consistent ways" - Journal of Business Ethics.