Hateful speech and identity-based cyber aggression are rampant in the online sphere. Racially/ethnically minoritized women (REMW), in particular, experience online gendered racism (the compounding effects of racism and sexism online) that can harm their mental health. To better understand the link between online gendered racism and mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and loneliness), we examined risk and protective factors that may explain the association. Using survey data from 983 REMW (Mage = 32.57, = 10.87; age range = 18-65), we conducted path analysis to test perceived threat to safety as a risk factor, and critical antioppressive consumption of social media (evaluating oppressive messages in the consumption process) and critical antioppressive prosumption of social media (creating and sharing content resisting online hate) as protective factors. Online gendered racism was linked to increased perceived threat to safety, which in turn was associated with more depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Online gendered racism was associated with increased critical antioppressive prosumption of social media, which was linked to less depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The impact of online gendered racism extends beyond the digital space, increasing feelings of danger in offline environments and contributing to poor mental health among REMW. In response, critical antioppressive prosumption of social media allows REMW to feel agentic in resisting online hate and creating counter-narratives for themselves. Compared to critical consumption, prosumption likely functions as a more resistant strategy, transforming energy into actions that combat online gendered racism and empower REMW. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Keum et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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