Screens, stereotypes and gender gaps: a critical look at ICTs in the student experience at the Universidad de Oriente (Cuba)

Abstract

The article examined how the daily use of information and communication technologies in the university environment contributed to the reproduction and reinforcement of gender stereotypes, based on research conducted at the Universidad de Oriente, Cuba. The main objective was to identify the students' perceptions of gender violence in digital environments, as well as the ways in which these practices are naturalized in academic and social life. To this end, a questionnaire developed by the Gender and Society Chair was applied, which allowed the collection of quantitative and qualitative data from a cross-cutting gender approach. The results showed persistent expressions of digital control, objectification and symbolic violence, especially towards women and non-heteronormative people. Likewise, there was little critical awareness of these issues, which reinforces their normalization in everyday university life. The research revealed the urgency of promoting training actions, institutional strategies and regulatory frameworks that address gender inequalities in the digital environment from a feminist and social justice perspective. These findings allow us to affirm that equitable access to ICTs is not enough; it is essential to transform the symbolic and cultural structures that sustain digital violence in order to move towards a more inclusive university.