Viral patriarchy: Discursive mechanisms of gender inequality in TikTok Indonesia’s comment sections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22373/equality.v12i1.32371Keywords:
Gender Inequality, Sexuality, TikTok, Comment Analysis, Digital PatriarchyAbstract
Social media has become a crucial space for producing and disseminating social narratives, including issues of gender inequality and sexuality. TikTok is one of the most popular platforms in Indonesia, widely used by the younger generation. Although studies on gender and digital media generally focus on the representation of women in online content, there remains a limited body of research examining how patriarchal values are reproduced through users’ discursive interactions in social media comment sections. This study analyzes the representation of gender inequality in narratives of sexuality on TikTok Indonesia, focusing on netizens’ responses to content related to gender issues. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach using content analysis of comments on 10 selected TikTok videos. The findings reveal three main patterns of netizen responses. First, rejection of feminism manifested through misconceptions, stereotypes, and justifications of injustice based on biological and religious arguments. Second, limited support emphasizing principles of human rights and gender equality. Third, ambivalence that nominally accepts equality while maintaining the status quo in social practice. The analysis also identified four mechanisms for reproducing inequality: traditional gender role division, double standards in evaluating sexual behavior, denial of the objectification of women, and the reinforcement of gender hierarchies through narratives of natural order. These narratives are often conveyed through casual language, humor, or religious claims that normalize gender bias. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening digital gender literacy and multistakeholder collaboration to create a more inclusive and gender-sensitive social media ecosystem.
References
Aisyah, A. N. (2023). Remediasi dikotomi gender melalui profesi drag queen: Analisis konten selebritas TikTok @ravelliobahri. Calathu: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 5(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.37715/calathu.v5i1.3577
Ali, N., Hayati, M., & Mopoliu, A. Z. (2025). Dualism of Tiktok’s algorithmic impact: disruption of students’ sexual identity in Islamic Education at Palangkaraya Universities. Syamil: Journal of Islamic Education, 13(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.21093/sy.v13i1.10182
Angelina, S. B., & Afrizal, S. (2025). Respons netizen dalam kasus pelecehan seksual laki-laki di kolom komentar Tiktok. PESHUM : Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial Dan Humaniora, 4(4), 5040–5047. https://doi.org/10.56799/peshum.v4i4.9793
Arafat, Y. M., Agustiana, I., Subari, A. G., & Sarathan, I. (2024). Persepsi remaja pada konten edukasi seksual di media sosial Tiktok. Serat-Journal of Literature and Cultural Studies, 01(01), 26–31. https://doi.org/https://jurnal.fib.unpad.ac.id/index.php/serat/article/view/52330.
Arikunto, S. (2013). Prosedur penelitian: Suatu pendekatan praktik (Edisi Revisi) (13th ed.). Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Banet-Weiser, S., & Miltner, K. M. (2016). #MasculinitySoFragile: culture, structure, and networked misogyny. Feminist Media Studies, 16(1), 171–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2016.1120490
Banet-Weiser, S., & Portwood-Stacer, L. (2017). The traffic in feminism: an introduction to the commentary and criticism on popular feminism. Feminist Media Studies, 17(5), 884–888. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2017.1350517
Connell, R. W. (2005). Masculinities (2nd ed.). London: University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003116479
Devi, R. A., Ridwan, A., & Kiranantika, A. (2025). Exploitation and objectification of women through Video Call Sex practice in radical feminism: The study of the phenomenon in working women. Gender Equality: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies, 11(1), 98–108. https://doi.org/10.22373/equality.v11i1.28287
Faatiya, A., Adyastika, C. F., Syifa, M. A., Gestania, N. A., Quddus, S. N. Q., Sahila, W., … Yodsuban, P. (2024). The use of tiktok as a medium for education on sexual violence from a psychological perspective. Health Frontiers, 2(1), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.62255/mjhp.v2i1.77
Fakih, M. (2008). Analisis gender dan transformasi sosial (12th ed.). Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.
Faradiazhary, S. G., Fadeli, M., & Permatasari, D. B. A. (2024). Analysis of verbal harassment on women in the comments column of the Tiktok account @Kinderflix.Idn. Mediakita, 8(2), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.30762/mediakita.v8i2.2214
Fatimatuzzahro, F., & Achmad, Z. A. (2022). What if it was you (#WIIWY) digital activism on TikTok to fight gender-based violence online and cyberbullying. Masyarakat, Kebudayaan Dan Politik, 35(4), 450–465. https://doi.org/10.20473/mkp.V35I42022.450-465
Gigik, Y. R., Lailiyah, N., & Puspitoningrum, E. (2025). Form and gender of language politeness in TikTok Densu comment column. Jurnal Disastri, 7(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.33752/disastri.v7i1.8718
Gill, R. (2007). Gender and the media (1st ed.). Cambridge: Polity Press.
Ging, D. (2019). Alphas, betas, and incels: Theorizing the masculinities of the manosphere. Men and Masculinities, 22(4), 638–657. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X17706401
Himawati, Y., Rachim, H. A., & Taftazani, B. M. (2024). Women victims of gender-based cyber violence from the perspective of person in environment. Marwah: Jurnal Perempuan, Agama Dan Jender, 23(1), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.24014/marwah.v23i1.21313
Jane, E. A. (2017). Misogyny online: a short (and Brutish) history (1st ed.). London: Sage Publications.
Jatmiko, M. I., Syukron, M., & Mekarsari, Y. (2020). Covid-19, Harassment and social media: a study of gender-based violence facilitated by technology during the pandemic. The Journal of Society and Media, 4(2), 319. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v4n2.p319-347
Khasanah, S. U., Sutinah, & Budirahayu, T. (2025). Representation of women’s bodies on TikTok social media. Journal of Urban Sociology, 1(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.30742/jus.v1i1.4045
Kholil, K. L. R., & Budiantoro, W. (2022). Cyberfeminisme: Pembebasan psikologi perempuan di ruang digital. KURIOSITAS: Media Komunikasi Sosial Dan Keagamaan, 15(1), 97–121. https://doi.org/10.35905/kur.v15i1.2587
Lestari, N. M. P., Erviantono, T., & Noak, P. A. (2025). Praktik komodifikasi tubuh perempuan sebagai konten pemasaran dalam ruang media sosial Tiktok. Indonesian Journal of Public Administration Review, 2(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.47134/par.v2i4.4402
Mantilla, K. (2015). Gendertrolling: How misogyny went viral (1st ed.). Santa Barbara: Praeger Press.
Masruroh, D., Wardani, F. Y. K., Suhatmady, B., & Aridah, A. (2025). Patriarchal ideology in Indonesian social media: A critical discourse analysis. Scope : Journal of English Language Teaching, 9(2), 867. https://doi.org/10.30998/scope.v9i2.26099
Mukti, I., & Asriadi, M. (2023). Representasi perempuan pada tayangan video dalam media sosial Tiktok. CORE: Journal of Communication Research, 1(2), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.47650/core.v1i2.882
Nairurrohmah, V., & Khotimah, K. (2024). Representasi patriarki pada konten Tiktok Riski Hasibuan: Analisis wacana kritis Model Sara Mills. Anufa, 2(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.63629/anufa.v2i1.50
Nugraha, C. D., Muam, A., & Supriyono. (2023). An analysis of gender representation In English Indonesia : A corpus-based study. Interference, 4(2), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.26858/interference.v4i2.45728
Putri, N. N., Khoirunnisa, D. A., Ilhamy, D. W., Ikhsan, M., & Purwanto, E. (2025). Pergeseran budaya: Media baru sebagai Tiktok dan aparatus ideologi. CONVERSE: Journal Communication Science, 2(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.47134/converse.v2i1.4345
Rahmawati, R., Gustianingsih, G., Deliana, D., & Syarfina, T. (2024). Stimulus and response of verbal violence delivered and gender acceptance in social media: A psycholinguistic study. International Journal of Religion, 5(7), 1171–1179. https://doi.org/10.61707/kqqh7039
Rani, C., Destiana, N., & Angelie, D. (2025). Kekerasan berbasis gender online (KBGO) dalam konteks misogini dan seksisme pada media sosial X (Twitter). Linimasa : Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 8(1), 41–61. https://doi.org/10.23969/linimasa.v8i1.20646
Rianto, P. R. (2022). TikTok dan kesenangan seksualitas kaum perempuan TikTok and women’s sexual pleasure. KOMUNIKA, 9(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.22236/komunika.v9i1.7845
Rokhimah, S. (2014). Patriarkhisme Dan ketidakadilan gender. Jurnal Muwazah: Jurnal Kajian Gender, 6(1), 1–14. Retrieved from http://e-journal.iainpekalongan.ac.id/index.php/Muwazah/article/view/440
Rosdiana, Izaac, F. A., Utami, S., Yulaeka, Febria, C., Apriyanti, A., … Ernita, L. (2023). Gender dan kesehatan. In N. Yuniar & S. Yusran (Eds.), Eureka Media Aksara (1st ed.). Purbalingga: Eureka Media Aksara.
Rukman, Huriani, Y., & Shamsu, L. S. binti H. (2023). Stigma terhadap perempuan korban kekerasan seksual. Jurnal Iman Dan Spiritualitas, 3(3), 447–454. https://doi.org/10.15575/jis.v3i3.29853
Sari, R. A. P., Tjahjono, T., & Rengganis, R. (2022). Representasi seksime dalam kolom komentar netizen pada budaya populer konten Tiktok hastag #Wanitakuat (Kajian Wacana Kritis Sara Mills). Jurnal Education and Development, 10(3), 603–608.
Setiawan, A. F. (2024). Representasi perempuan dalam konten quotes di media sosial Tiktok: Tinjauan analisis wacana Sara Mills. Parataksis: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Dan Pembelajaran Bahasa Indonesia, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.31851/parataksis.v7i1.13611
Suharnanik, S., Emanuel, E. P. L., & Ashfaq, A. (2025). The algorithm’s gaze: Gender, age, and the structuring of TikTok content consumption patterns in urban Indonesia (A case study in Surabaya). Gender Equality: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies, 11(2), 242–256. https://doi.org/10.22373/equality.v11i2.31980
Sujarweni, V. W. (2014). Metodologi penelitian: Lengkap, praktis dan mudah dipahami (1st ed.). Yogyakarta: Pustaka Baru Press.
Suryanti, M. S. D., & Muttaqin, M. Z. (2023). Online gender-based violence in Indonesian context: The shadow pandemic study. Violence and Gender, 10(3), 153–158. https://doi.org/10.1089/vio.2022.0057
Walby, S. (1990). Theorizing patriarchy (1st ed.). Cambridge: Blackwell Publishing.
Wang, Y. (2024). The “female-to-male” phenomenon in short videos: A feminist media analysis. Communications in Humanities Research, 45(1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7064/45/20240070
Wijaya, S., & Setiawan, R. (2024). Pelecehan seksual melalui aplikasi Tiktok. Guiding World (Bimbingan Dan Konseling), 7(1), 105–114. https://doi.org/10.33627/gw.v7i1.1931
Yanto, M. D., Satu, I. E. I. N., & Silaban, D. I. (2025). Analisis narasi digital tentang seksisme di kanal Youtube Puella.ID. Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi UHO : Jurnal Penelitian Kajian Ilmu Komunikasi Dan Informasi, 10(3), 569–582. https://doi.org/10.52423/jikuho.v10i3.1674
Zainuddin, & Karim. (2025). Language and gender on social media: A critical discourse analysis of Tiktok comments. Jalc : Journal of Applied Linguistic and Studies of Cultural, 03(01), 31–36. https://doi.org/10.65787/jalc.v3i1.555
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Nurullah Erfany, Riky Arista
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
GENDER EQUALITY: International Journal of Child and Gender Studies allows the author(s) to hold the copyright and to retain the publishing rights without restrictions. Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
slot pulsa