Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls - And How We Can Take it Back

A feminist rallying cry for women to recognize and reject the ways social media is being weaponized against us — and instead wield it to empower ourselves.

Actionable solutions for women, parents, and educators to fight online disinformation, sexism, and misogyny—so we can create healthier digital spaces for girls and teens.

In Over the Influence, communication professor and CNN Opinion contributor Kara Alaimo reveals how social media is affecting every aspect of the lives of women and girls—from our relationships and our parenting to our physical and mental well-being. Over the Influence is a book about what it means to live in the world social media has wrought—whether you’re constantly connected or have deleted your accounts forever. Alaimo explains:

• Why you’re likely to get fewer followers if you’re a woman.
• How fake news is crafted to prey on women’s vulnerabilities. 
• Why so much of the content we find in our feeds is specifically designed to hold us back.
• How social media has made the offline world an uglier place for women.

But we can change this. Alaimo offers up brilliant advice for how to get over the influence, including:

• How to handle our daughters’ use of social media
• Tips for using dating apps to find the partners we’re looking for
• How we can use social networks to bolster our careers 
• Ways to protect ourselves from sextortionists, catfishers, and trolls. 
• What we need to demand from lawmakers and tech companies.

Over the Influence calls on women to recognize and call out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) sexism and misogyny we find online, reject misinformation that is targeted to us because of our gender, and use our platforms to empower ourselves and other women.

Kara Alaimo, Ph.D. is a communication professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She writes frequently for CNN Opinion about the social impact of social media and issues affecting women. A former communicator at the United Nations and in the Obama administration, she lives in New Jersey with her family. For more information, visit www.karaalaimo.com and follow her @karaalaimo.