Volume 93

This paper delves into how internet usage impacts the perception of gender inequality. The study background lies in the 20th Party Congress report's emphasis on cyberspace governance and the internet's deep social penetration. The paper notes that the internet has transformed information dissemination and social interaction, and significantly influenced individuals' gender - inequality perception. Notably, in certain online groups like incel (involuntary celibate) groups, the perception and expression of gender inequality are increasingly prominent. Their hostility and prejudice towards women in cyberspace affect both individual gender - equality perception and social order. Through empirical research, this paper uncovers the intricate relationship between internet use and gender - inequality perception. It finds that internet use affects individuals' subjective inequality perception through mechanisms such as enhancing social comparison, influencing fairness perception, shaping attribution processes, and strengthening group identity. Specifically, information exposure disrupts fairness perception, triggering external attributions that, through group identity, solidify into extreme views. This complex interaction mirrors the formation and reconstruction of individuals' cognitive patterns and social beliefs in the modern digital age, amidst vast information and social - structural changes.

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