Stewart, BrandonShawa, Tara2022-07-182026-09-302022-07-182026-09-302022-04-182022-07-18http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dsp01ms35tc80shttps://theses-dissertations.princeton.edu/handle/88435/dsp01ms35tc80sThe focus of this thesis lies in the intersection between childhood gender socialization, media effects, and digital technology. The research question is twofold: first, how is gender represented in content on the YouTube Kids platform? And second, to what extent does the recommendation system reinforce these gendered representations? To address these questions, I begin with a review of literature in the key fields that intersect on this topic. I start with gender theory and childhood socialization theory, then media effects and digital media, and lastly the platform through which they convene: YouTube Kids. Grounded in this cumulative knowledge, I conduct a mixed-method analysis, comprised of qualitative case studies and quantitative content analysis, to examine representations of gender and their potential exacerbation throughout various types of content. I find that gendered representations on YouTube Kids reflect normative constructions of gender, and that there is potential for the platform’s recommendation system to suggest increasingly gendered content to users.application/pdfenPrinceton University Senior Theses