Men are stigmatized as “beta” for posting frequently on social media.

We theorize and demonstrate evidence of a frequent-posting femininity stereotype: All else being equal, men who post more often on social media are considered more feminine than those who seldom post. Because online posting is associated with attention-seeking, we posit that the frequent-posting femininity stereotype is explained by the poster’s perceived neediness (i.e., a desire for external validation), a trope that falls within the communal orientation of feminine gender performance. Drawing on the theory of precarious manhood—the idea that idealized masculinity is difficult to attain and easy to lose—we suggest that posting frequently online comes with a critical degree of embedded stigma and can change gender perceptions of men but not women.

The full paper can be found on my ResearchGate.