A new study reveals that online microaggressions targeting Black women can have detrimental effects on the health of other Black women who witness them, even when not directly targeted. Researchers found that exposure to these vicarious microaggressions is associated with poorer sleep quality among young Black women.
The study, conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University and other institutions, involved 478 Black women aged 18 to 35 in the United States. Participants completed a survey measuring their experiences with race and gender-related microaggressions both in-person and online.
Vanessa Volpe, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of psychology at NC State, emphasized the seriousness of microaggressions. “A lot of people falsely treat microaggressions as a kind of joke, but they are serious and have serious consequences,” she stated.
Interestingly, vicarious online microaggressions were reported as the most common form of microaggression experienced by participants. The study found that for each unit increase on a 0-5 scale measuring exposure to vicarious online microaggressions, the likelihood of clinically-relevant poor sleep quality increased by 33%.
These findings have implications for health professionals and researchers. Volpe suggests that healthcare providers working with patients experiencing sleep problems should inquire about stress related to online experiences and develop stress management plans accordingly.
The research highlights the need for a closer examination of vicarious microaggressions and their impact on health disparities, particularly for Black women in the digital age.
See “Online microaggressions linked to poor sleep quality for Black women” (September 25, 2024)
