Informal Learning with a Gender Perspective Transmitted by Influencers through Content on YouTube and Instagram in Spain

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Interesting topic, much needed in face of the growing use of social media and their impact on people’s real lives.

However, some issues were seen on this paper:

-the English in the abstract must be reviewed, there are a lot of written mistakes.

-the introduction focuses on recent literature and is sufficient since it gives an overall view of the topic. However, why only report Spain statistics throughout it? The article is not said to be only focused on Spain (or Spanish influencers), but it is clear throughout the paper reading that it is. This information should be made clear, in the title, and/or in the paper objective. Also, have other studies on this topic been developed? What do they have discovered? This type of information is important to give readers an idea of what has been done so far, and why your study is innovative.

-in the introduction there is a missing reference. "?FUENTE?" is written instead.

-Please add the reference for the affirmation on lines 85, 86, 87; and also on line 110, 111.

-the authors stated that a "total of twelve examples" (line 138) were subject to content analysis. Afterwards, on line 142 it is said that a multistage cluster sample was the basis and that the first step was to visit the profiles of each influencer. How were these influencers chosen? there are so many influencers nowadays, how did the authors choose these ones? What were the criteria for this choice? This must be clearly specified.

-In Table 1 the URL of the social media influencers are given. This information should be removed to comply with ethical procedures of anonymity.  The authors even write at the acknowledgments, line 286, "analyses of anonymously collected webpages", but by giving the url identification is possible.

-all figures have the contents in Spanish, these should be changed to English, to be coherent with the paper’s written language.

-In line 195 it is said that validity was achieved through the principle of self-reflection and the "validity transmitted by the influencers' followers". How it is possible to see the validity by the “influencers followers”? This should be better and scientifically explained.

-the analysis of the results would benefit if actual comments or dialogues analyzed were given as examples. I recommend to add them.

-the conclusions are interesting but a discussion with existing literature is non-existing. It should be added. Also, a clearer response to the objectives of the paper should be given on the conclusions, particularly for specific objective on line 132-133.

Likewise, in the conclusion please rewrite some expressions such as in line 266 "to lack any useful social purpose" and in lines 268, 269 "is completely underutilised". Evaluative terms should not be used in scientific writing.

Overall, the paper has useful information, but more clarity is needed on procedures, language and a more robust discussion.

Author Response

Report to reviewers

Reviewer 1

Before I begin to comment on their considerations. We would like to thank you for your comments, as we believe that they have greatly improved the article. We hope that the responses to these comments will be adequate.

Thank you

1. the English in the abstract must be reviewed, there are a lot of written mistakes.

Based on your recommendations, we have redrafted a new summary.

“The struggle for gender equality is based on identifying, understanding and eradicating the causes of inequality. Digital media are and have always been governed by men and, as a consequence, have become another instrument of patriarchy. This article analyses the content created on YouTube and Instagram by four of the most popular influencers in Spain in order to examine the presence of stereotypes and gender roles, the use of sexist or inclusive language, and the influencers’ level of social engagement on issues related to gender equality. A content analysis approach using ATLAS.ti 8 software was chosen, as this method provides information about the sender of the message as the well the message itself and its impact. The findings of the analysis show that influencers transmit sexist roles and stereotypes, use non-inclusive language, and exhibit no social engagement on questions of gender inequality. The study concludes by highlighting the importance of cyberfeminism as a way of promoting gender equality online”.

1. the introduction focuses on recent literature and is sufficient since it gives an overall view of the topic. However, why only report Spain statistics throughout it? The article is not said to be only focused on Spain (or Spanish influencers), but it is clear throughout the paper reading that it is. This information should be made clear, in the title, and/or in the paper objective. Also, have other studies on this topic been developed? What do they have discovered? This type of information is important to give readers an idea of what has been done so far, and why your study is innovative

In this consideration we would like to comment:

(a) in the article some aspects have been added to make it clear that the population we are focusing on is the Spanish population.  Thus, the following has been done.

+change in the title: “Informal learning with a gender perspective transmitted by Influencers through content on YouTube and Instagram in Spain”

+change in the objective of the article:

     * in the introduction of the article on line 40-49: " New information and communication technology (ICT) is inextricably linked to social networks: virtual communities that bypass the mass media by connecting different groups of people on the basis of different types of relationships (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; Tufekci, 2013). The different layers of complexity and degrees of interaction involved allow us to analyse these relations as a network or social graph. The annual IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Spain report for 2021 reveals that 100% of the Spanish population between the ages of 16 and 70 use at least one social network (i.e. 33.8 million, based on census data for 2021 from the Spanish National Statistics Institute), 93% of the population uses the internet (31.4 million) and 85% use social media (26.6 million) (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; National Statistics Institute, 2021; Ministry for Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, 2020; Salcines-Talledo, Ramírez-García & González-Fernández, 2018."

Line (63-76)

“One of the most popular social networks among younger users (18-34 years) is Instagram, where the average time spent on the platform is also higher than other networks (2.75 hours per week) (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Instagram is a mainly visual medium, consisting of captioned photographs and videos which users use to share their experiences. Instagram and other networks such as YouTube have given rise to the phenomenon of what have become known as ‘influencers’ (or ‘opinion leaders’), internet-born role models with the power to influence other people with their content and opinions by establishing a close personal relationship with those who ‘follow’ them (Santamaría & Meana, 2017). Significantly, survey results report that 88% of women in Spain under the age of 40 follow at least one influencer on social media (IAB Spain, 2021). In most cases, internet users do not depend on just one social network but are active on several of them at the same time. For this reason, influencers usually promote their channels across multiple social media, especially through Instagram (Elorriaga-Illera & Monge-Benito, 2018; Fundación Telefónica, 2018).”

   *   in one of the general objectives (line 173-174) it has been stated: “Identify indicators of cyberfeminist practices among Spanish influencers”

(b) in relation to what other studies on the subject and what is pointed out in those studies. Comment that we present some of these studies and some of the many ideas that help to focus a little more on our topic of work (lines 84-104).

"The influencer phenomenon first emerged around 2000, coinciding with the appearance of social media (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Influencers are individuals who use social media to construct a reputation for themselves on certain subjects. Their apparent passion for and knowledge about these subjects lends them credibility and the ability to influence consumption habits through trends of their own making. The key to their success is the fact that they emerge naturally: their fame is self-made and their work is therefore seen as enterprising. The first studies on online influencing as a profession have emerged over the past five years (Martín & Martínez, 2019; Padilla & Oliver, 2018; Velasco, 2019; Vicente-Fernández, Vinader-Segura & Gallego-Trijueque, 2019; Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). Research in English-speaking countries in particular has begun to pay increasing attention to the influencer phenomenon as a new form of work, with numerous analyses of influencer figures in the advertising and fashion sectors (Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). All of these studies coincide in highlighting that the self-representations of female influencers online tend to conform to a traditional conception of femininity. Despite the image of female happiness, success and empowerment they seem to project, the beauty standards promoted are still based on youth and thinness. The problem from a gender equality point of view is the influence these individuals have on younger social media users, since influencers are born into and out of a patriarchal society, and therefore often transmit these problematic values and attitudes to young users, unconsciously or otherwise.

1. in the introduction there is a missing reference. "?FUENTE?" is written instead.

With respect to this consideration, we would like to point out that an error has arisen since a comment by the authors has been left without realizing that the sources appear at the end of the paragraph (lines 58-63)

" the world. YouTube is a hosting site that allows users to share and create different types of video content. Regular users are mostly found in the 14-49 age group, with younger viewers now more likely to consume visual content through the site’s channels than through traditional television. YouTube, like Instagram, is also used by so-called influencers, and influencer followers account for 30% of the platform’s total usership (Arab & Díaz, 2015; Fernández & Sánchez, 2017; IAB Spain, 2021)."

In this new version of the paper that term was removed (? FUENTE??).

111. Please add the reference for the affirmation on lines 85, 86, 87; and also on line 110, 111.

In lines 63- 78, the following references are introduced:

"One of the most popular social networks among younger users (18-34 years) is Instagram, where the average time spent on the platform is also higher than other networks (2.75 hours per week) (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Instagram is a mainly visual medium, consisting of captioned photographs and videos which users use to share their experiences. Instagram and other networks such as YouTube have given rise to the phenomenon of what have become known as ‘influencers’ (or ‘opinion leaders’), internet-born role models with the power to influence other people with their content and opinions by establishing a close personal relationship with those who ‘follow’ them (Santamaría & Meana, 2017). Significantly, survey results report that 88% of women in Spain under the age of 40 follow at least one influencer on social media (IAB Spain, 2021). In most cases, internet users do not depend on just one social network but are active on several of them at the same time. For this reason, influencers usually promote their channels across multiple social media, especially through Instagram (Elorriaga-Illera & Monge-Benito, 2018; Fundación Telefónica, 2018)".

In lines 84-103:

“The influencer phenomenon first emerged around 2000, coinciding with the appearance of social media (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Influencers are individuals who use social media to construct a reputation for themselves on certain subjects. Their apparent passion for and knowledge about these subjects lends them credibility and the ability to influence consumption habits through trends of their own making. The key to their success is the fact that they emerge naturally: their fame is self-made and their work is therefore seen as enterprising. The first studies on online influencing as a profession have emerged over the past five years (Martín & Martínez, 2019; Padilla & Oliver, 2018; Velasco, 2019; Vicente-Fernández, Vinader-Segura & Gallego-Trijueque, 2019; Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). Research in English-speaking countries in particular has begun to pay increasing attention to the influencer phenomenon as a new form of work, with numerous analyses of influencer figures in the advertising and fashion sectors (Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). All of these studies coincide in highlighting that the self-representations of female influencers online tend to conform to a traditional conception of femininity. Despite the image of female happiness, success and empowerment they seem to project, the beauty standards promoted are still based on youth and thinness. The problem from a gender equality point of view is the influence these individuals have on younger social media users, since influencers are born into and out of a patriarchal society, and therefore often transmit these problematic values and attitudes to young users, unconsciously or otherwise”

In lines 104-105 the following references are introduced:

" The question is whether better education in social media use can translate into significant gains for the feminist cause. In recent years, traditional feminists and cyberfeminists in particular have focused their efforts on the introduction of non-sexist education into the school curriculum, including the use and power of new technology and social media (Cobo, 2019; Donoso-Vázquez, 2018; García, 2007; Mujeres en Red, 2001; Valcárcel, 2000). The aim of this new form of education is to help young people to view ICT as an essential part of their personal and professional lives, not just as a tool for sharing information and solving problems. Rather than treating ICT as a skill to be acquired, therefore, young people need to be taught to realise the social and political potential of the resource that they have at their fingertips (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021; Santiago, Permisan & Romero, 2019)2

1. the authors stated that a "total of twelve examples" (line 138) were subject to content analysis. Afterwards, on line 142 it is said that a multistage cluster sample was the basis and that the first step was to visit the profiles of each influencer. How were these influencers chosen? there are so many influencers nowadays, how did the authors choose these ones? What were the criteria for this choice? This must be clearly specified.

Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

(a) the expression "total of twelve example" has been replaced by materials since what is selected are materials from the 4 infuencers. Specifically, YouTube and Instragram videos.

1. b) The idea that the influencers were selected based on the study carried out by the Marqyues de Olivia Foundation on 500 people was incorporated in the text. Subsequently, influencers were selected who indicated in their profiles that they were feminists or followed feminist theories.

Thus, we incorporated the following

“The analysis was based on multi-stage cluster sampling, which was obtained in three stages: first, the profiles of each of the influencers were visited. To select them, the study carried out by the Marqués de Olivia Foundation (2021) on 500 of the most influential people in Spain was followed. For this work, the four most influential of that study were selected, but who also indicated in their profile that they were feminists or that they followed feminist theories; secondly, the social networks in which they have the most followers were selected (Instagram was the most valued in all cases, followed by YouTube, in a secondary or complementary role to Instagram). Celebrities (from reality shows, for example) or public figures were voluntarily eliminated, leaving only the so-called "pure" influencers (Fundación Marqués de Oliva, 2021; IAB Spain, 2019; Influencer. MarketingHub, 2022; Sanz-Marco, Jiménez-Marín & Zam-brano, 2019; Santamaría & Meana, 2017), i.e. Yourubers, Instagramers...); and, finally, we carried out a process of observation and recording”

1. In Table 1 the URL of the social media influencers are given. This information should be removed to comply with ethical procedures of anonymity. The authors even write at the acknowledgments, line 286, "analyses of anonymously collected webpages", but by giving the url identification is possible.

For your consideration, we have removed the URLs from Table 1 in order to comply with ethical anonymity procedures.

1. all figures have the contents in Spanish, these should be changed to English, to be coherent with the paper’s written language

All the figures have Spanish content since all the analysis material was found in that language. That is why we opted not to translate since we would often eliminate the expressions that are used.

Consequently, to follow their recommendations, we opted to introduce the translation of these terms in footnotes, always understanding that they would not be the original expressions.

1. the analysis of the results would benefit if actual comments or dialogues analyzed were given as examples. I recommend to add them

In lines 235-239, the following references are introduced:

“for example, Influencer A: “make up to feel pretty”; Influencer c: “to feel good put on makeup and they will see you pretty” and Influencer D: “I like to go with excess makeup and provocative clothing so that they look at me”)”

In lines 240-245, the following reference are introduced:

“(“for women to feel good in all environments they must be thin, with dark skin (that´s why you must take care of yourself all year), if you have Andalusian features better, tall and athletic (go to the gym several times with a trainer) and not if you happen to cut your hair, it should reach the height oy your buttocks”)”

In lines 262- 266, the following reference are introduced:

“The only subject found to use inclusive language in her posts was Influencer B, who refers to her followers as ‘(beautiful) people’. By contrast, another of the influencers uses the generic masculine plural ‘beautiful people’ to address her followers, in posts and videos alike”.

 In lines 270-275, the following reference are introducer:

“(for example “the clothes I´m wearing today are from my latest collection, it will make you feel very free”; “this jacket really highlights your figure and will look great if you combine it with other clothes from my brand (…)”; “lately, I made a trip with my partner, where we thought about our nearest future, That trip marked me, since going to Bali changes your life and gives you other priorities”)”

In lines 293-295, the following reference are introducer:

(for example “ with this video, I want you to see the negative effects that bullying can have on other people. I don´t understand how you can talk badly, make fun of it, ect… when I was little I suffered harassment from some classmates because I had glasses and my teeth weren´t as pretty as they are now that I had surgery at the clinic (,,,)”)

1. In line 195 it is said that validity was achieved through the principle of self-reflection and the "validity transmitted by the influencers' followers". How it is possible to see the validity by the “influencers followers”? This should be better and scientifically explained.

Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

“To ensure the reliability of the data and results, the study was conducted with clear objectives and in strict accordance with research standards and the principle of literality. The study’s validity is based on its adherence to the principle of self-critical reflection regarding the possible presence of bias in the research process and its results, and the validity transmitted by the influencers’ followers (o validation from participants).This is because validation is the process through which we male claims and assess the credibility of observations, interpretations, and generalizations (in our case, the YouTube videos and Instagram stories of our influencers). The essential criterion is the degree to which we can draw on the concepts, methods and inferences of a study (such as Arias-Rodríguez & Sánchez-Bello, 2017; Núñez & Hernández, 2011) as a basis for our own theorizing and empirical research. With this reformulation the essential question of validity becomes whether the scientific community (Barry et al., 1999; Sandín, 2000).”

133. the conclusions are interesting but a discussion with existing literature is non-existing. It should be added. Also, a clearer response to the objectives of the paper should be given on the conclusions, particularly for specific objective on line 132-133.

Likewise, in the conclusion please rewrite some expressions such as in line 266 "to lack any useful social purpose" and in lines 268, 269 "is completely underutilised". Evaluative terms should not be used in scientific writing.

“With respect to the conclusions, the entire section has been reworked to indicate the following:

Most of these influencers’ followers are women, especially young women and even teenagers. While fairness and equality are values that all members of society should be taught, it is particularly important to inculcate the message of equality in young people, not just at home and at school, but in all areas of their lives. It seems clear, therefore, that if the lessons of egalitarian, non-sexist education are not reflected in social media by the people these youngsters admire and wish to be like, part of that message will fall by the wayside.

One aspect of this is the need to eradicate stereotypes. As the analysis of influencer content has shown, the stereotypical idea of beauty is still firmly associated with women and beauty standards lack diversity and inclusivity: beauty is a tall, thin, feminine woman, and any deviation from this norm is seen as a defect to be corrected.

The same lack of inclusivity is observed in the use of language. While the analysis did not find evidence of language that could be considered offensive towards women, it did identify a tendency to subsume women under generic masculine forms. In contrast to English, which does not make grammatical distinctions between genders, Spanish nouns, adjectives and determiners are all marked for gender (Ackerman, 2019; Escandell-Vidal, 2018; Harris, 1991)[1]. In this regard, the language used by the influencers surveyed in this study certainly does not follow the recommendation issued by UNESCO (2019) in relation to its own documents to ‘avoid, as far as possible, the use of terms that refer implicitly or explicitly to one sex only, except in reference to positive measures in favour of women’ (UNESCO, 2019: 100).

While language itself cannot be said to be sexist or exclusive, the use we make of it can be. Linguistic sexism occurs when the language used reproduces an inflated image of the role and presence of men, while ignoring the experience and contribution of women and the diverse reality of human existence ( Bengoechea, 2015; Rubio, 2016).. When we use language to project learned stereotypes based on an androcentric worldview of the masculine perspective as universal, generalisable and value-free, we are helping to perpetuate the perception in our collective consciousness of women as subsidiary, secondary and dispensable.

Social engagement was generally absent and only observed in relation to particularly serious, high media profile incidents, such as a group rape or the murder of a woman by her partner. In fact, much of the copious information collected for the study was found to lack any social purpose. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with using social media as a form of distraction or entertainment, the study shows that their potential as a tool for the promotion and development of cyberfeminism has been largely ignored. The solution lies in raising awareness of this potential, not just among younger users, but also among those with the power to influence others through their online content.

Extensive research into the activist and political potential of social media has been carried out over the past decade (Casero-Ripollés, 2015; Castells, 2009; Rovira, 2017; Postill, 2018; Treré, 2012).. The growing importance and influence of digital media has not, however, been accompanied by an evolution away from patriarchal attitudes and identities (Macharia, 2015), as evidenced by humour that denigrates women or perpetuates female stereotypes, the use of terms such as ‘feminazi’, mockery of women who enter traditional bastions of male power, praise for women based on their physical appearance only, justification of violence against women and victim blaming, etc. (Araüna, Tortajada & Willem, 2019; Demirhal & Cakir-Demirhal, 2015; Ruiz, 2016). To combat this onslaught of symbolic violence against women, cyberactivism has the potential to counteract patriarchal discourses and influence the social agenda by connecting different groups of feminists and pooling their ideas, resources and proposals via social media (Árdevol & Gómez, 2012; Burgos, 2017; Keller, Mendes & Ringrose, 2016; Harris, 2008; Sokolova & Perez, 2021; Varela, 2020)

The failure to date to make full use of social media as a tool for social and political change and female empowerment may be due to misconceptions about cyberfeminism among content creators and consumers alike, and an underestimation of the movement’s importance. The results of the analysis highlight the need for greater online and offline education in this area, and a greater realisation that the image represented on social media is not a reflection of what people should be, but an illusion that bears little or no relation to the world in which we live.

There is so much empty content and information on these influencers’ social media (particularly in the case of Instagram) that issues such as covert advertising and the reproduction of capitalist patriarchal stereotypes often go unnoticed, while any useful or socially beneficial information ends up lost or forgotten about.”

[1] For example, whereas in the Spanish phrase ‘la mujer buena y el hombre bueno’, the adjective bueno/a is marked for gender according to the sex (and gender) of the noun, in the English equivalent, there is no distinction between the adjectives associated with each noun: ‘the good woman and the good man’.

Reviewer 2 Report

The article presents a very pertinent and current theme, and can effectively contribute to the debate in academia as long as some good scientific practices are improved. The main aspects that raise doubts are related to:
1. Scientific rigour:

- as the contextualization of social media is based only on latin america and spanish sources, the introduction should limit the study to an specific context in stead of leading to the global generalization of the phenomenon - especially if we take into account the small size of the sample and content analysis (4 influencers and 12 examples);

- the problematic as well the key concepts are not exhaustively supported by literature review, which weakens the article. Due to this, it does not allow the conclusions to reflect a correlation between the literature and the data obtained in the study. Sociological and social media communication well-know authors will bring consistency to the article;

- the article refers to a set of data without substantiating it with sources (e.g. when referring to Facebook users says: Because of the wide age range of users 48 (18-44 years), the content on the platform is very varied). As other studies points to other age groups,  it is important to justify this statement.

2. Methodological aspects:

- the title "Materials and methods" could be replaced by "Research questions and methodology" or other expression that introduces the research goals, methods and sample;

- the justification of the sample is missing: the criteria behind the selection of the 4 influencers is not explained (ranking, convenience criteria, focus groups?). The auther justifies the selection by visiting the profiles of each of the influencers; and selecting the social networks in which they have the most followers. But it is a search based on the user experience, therefore biased,

- influencers under analysis should be characterised/presented at the beginning of the empirical phase (even without their names)- to provide confidance that they were selected according to the theme of social inequalities (e.g. only at the end of the article do we know that they belong to the female gender).

Regarding formal aspects, it is advisable to revise typing errors and references to the source, which is missing (p.2). Also, as the article is written in english, figures should be translated to ensure a full understanding.

Hope the author find this a useful and positive review.

Author Response

Report to reviewers

Reviewer 2

Before I begin to comment on their considerations. We would like to thank you for your comments, as we believe that they have greatly improved the article. We hope that the responses to these comments will be adequate.

Thank you

1. Scientific rigour:

- as the contextualization of social media is based only on latin america and spanish sources, the introduction should limit the study to an specific context in stead of leading to the global generalization of the phenomenon - especially if we take into account the small size of the sample and content analysis (4 influencers and 12 examples);

In this consideration we would like to comment:

(a) in the article some aspects have been added to make it clear that the population we are focusing on is the Spanish population.  Thus, the following has been done.

+change in the title: “Informal learning with a gender perspective transmitted by Influencers through content on YouTube and Instagram in Spain”

+change in the objective of the article:

     * in the introduction of the article on line 40-49: " New information and communication technology (ICT) is inextricably linked to social networks: virtual communities that bypass the mass media by connecting different groups of people on the basis of different types of relationships (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; Tufekci, 2013). The different layers of complexity and degrees of interaction involved allow us to analyse these relations as a network or social graph. The annual IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Spain report for 2021 reveals that 100% of the Spanish population between the ages of 16 and 70 use at least one social network (i.e. 33.8 million, based on census data for 2021 from the Spanish National Statistics Institute), 93% of the population uses the internet (31.4 million) and 85% use social media (26.6 million) (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; National Statistics Institute, 2021; Ministry for Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, 2020; Salcines-Talledo, Ramírez-García & González-Fernández, 2018."

Line (63-76)

“One of the most popular social networks among younger users (18-34 years) is Instagram, where the average time spent on the platform is also higher than other networks (2.75 hours per week) (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Instagram is a mainly visual medium, consisting of captioned photographs and videos which users use to share their experiences. Instagram and other networks such as YouTube have given rise to the phenomenon of what have become known as ‘influencers’ (or ‘opinion leaders’), internet-born role models with the power to influence other people with their content and opinions by establishing a close personal relationship with those who ‘follow’ them (Santamaría & Meana, 2017). Significantly, survey results report that 88% of women in Spain under the age of 40 follow at least one influencer on social media (IAB Spain, 2021). In most cases, internet users do not depend on just one social network but are active on several of them at the same time. For this reason, influencers usually promote their channels across multiple social media, especially through Instagram (Elorriaga-Illera & Monge-Benito, 2018; Fundación Telefónica, 2018).”

   *   in one of the general objectives (line 173-174) it has been stated: “Identify indicators of cyberfeminist practices among Spanish influencers”

(b) in relation to what other studies on the subject and what is pointed out in those studies. Comment that we present some of these studies and some of the many ideas that help to focus a little more on our topic of work (lines 84-104).

"The influencer phenomenon first emerged around 2000, coinciding with the appearance of social media (Fundación Telefónica, 2018; IAB Spain, 2021). Influencers are individuals who use social media to construct a reputation for themselves on certain subjects. Their apparent passion for and knowledge about these subjects lends them credibility and the ability to influence consumption habits through trends of their own making. The key to their success is the fact that they emerge naturally: their fame is self-made and their work is therefore seen as enterprising. The first studies on online influencing as a profession have emerged over the past five years (Martín & Martínez, 2019; Padilla & Oliver, 2018; Velasco, 2019; Vicente-Fernández, Vinader-Segura & Gallego-Trijueque, 2019; Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). Research in English-speaking countries in particular has begun to pay increasing attention to the influencer phenomenon as a new form of work, with numerous analyses of influencer figures in the advertising and fashion sectors (Cuenca-Piquera, González & Checa 2021). All of these studies coincide in highlighting that the self-representations of female influencers online tend to conform to a traditional conception of femininity. Despite the image of female happiness, success and empowerment they seem to project, the beauty standards promoted are still based on youth and thinness. The problem from a gender equality point of view is the influence these individuals have on younger social media users, since influencers are born into and out of a patriarchal society, and therefore often transmit these problematic values and attitudes to young users, unconsciously or otherwise.

1. c) the expression "total of twelve example" has been replaced by materials since what is selected are materials from the 4 infuencers. Specifically, YouTube and Instragram videos.

1. d) The idea that the influencers were selected based on the study carried out by the Marqyues de Olivia Foundation on 500 people was incorporated in the text. Subsequently, influencers were selected who indicated in their profiles that they were feminists or followed feminist theories.

Thus, we incorporated the following

“The analysis was based on multi-stage cluster sampling, which was obtained in three stages: first, the profiles of each of the influencers were visited. To select them, the study carried out by the Marqués de Olivia Foundation (2021) on 500 of the most influential people in Spain was followed. For this work, the four most influential of that study were selected, but who also indicated in their profile that they were feminists or that they followed feminist theories; secondly, the social networks in which they have the most followers were selected (Instagram was the most valued in all cases, followed by YouTube, in a secondary or complementary role to Instagram). Celebrities (from reality shows, for example) or public figures were voluntarily eliminated, leaving only the so-called "pure" influencers (Fundación Marqués de Oliva, 2021; IAB Spain, 2019; Influencer. MarketingHub, 2022; Sanz-Marco, Jiménez-Marín & Zam-brano, 2019; Santamaría & Meana, 2017), i.e. Yourubers, Instagramers...); and, finally, we carried out a process of observation and recording”

- the problematic as well the key concepts are not exhaustively supported by literature review, which weakens the article. Due to this, it does not allow the conclusions to reflect a correlation between the literature and the data obtained in the study. Sociological and social media communication well-know authors will bring consistency to the article;

 Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

In lines 129-160

Informal education such as that received through social media can lead to the acritical transmission of certain social ideas, such as gender stereotypes, which impact male and female identity differently[1] (Alves & Ferreira, 2016; Rodríguez, 2011; Saenz, 2007; Simkin & Becerra, 2013). Gender stereotypes are preconceived sex-based generalisations about an individual’s attributes, interests and personality that have become so ingrained in our collective consciousness that we are no longer capable of analysing or rationalising them; we simply accept them, understand them and reproduce them as self-evident truths. Stereotypes in general limit the way we think about certain groups of humanity, and gender stereotypes limit the way we see men and women. Both lead to essentialist, reductionist societies and promote segregation (Arias- Rodríguez & Sánchez-Bello, 2017; Colás- Bravo & Quintero-Rodríguez, 2022; Iglesias & Sánchez, 2008; Schugurensky, 2000).

The language used in social media reveals a gender bias regarding the roles of men and women in society. This is crucial given the central role played by language in the construction of gender, as exposed and denounced by Butler (1990) in her pioneering Gender Trouble. Indeed, since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action agreed at the 4^th World Conference on Women (1995), the UN(2019) has promoted the use of non-discriminatory, gender-inclusive language as a way of eradicating gender bias and fostering a more equal, democratic society.

Most internet users view social networks as platforms for communication and entertainment, but are not always as aware of how powerful they can be if used correctly. Both the public at large and online opinion leaders (such as influencers) should take into account that everything they say or do online remains and has repercussions. Comments by influencers regarding the feminist movement, for example, can prove controversial and generate debate across the social media spectrum. This raises the question of whether influencers who ally themselves with the cause of equality do so in order to help or to benefit their own interests by piggybacking on a popular trend, and what effect their influence and viral outreach have. The final element of the analysis, therefore, is to examine influencers’ social engagement on issues related to feminism and gender equality in order to assess the qualitative impact and outreach of their online messages and their emotional connection with their followers (Aran-Ramspott, Fedele & Tarragó, 2018; Casado-Riera & Carbonell, 2018; Jiang & Ngien, 2020; Pérez-Torres, Pastor-Ruiz & Abarrou-Ben-Boubaker, 2018; Reece & Danforth, 2017; Sokolova & Perez, 2021)”

- the article refers to a set of data without substantiating it with sources (e.g. when referring to Facebook users says: Because of the wide age range of users 48 (18-44 years), the content on the platform is very varied). As other studies points to other age groups,  it is important to justify this statement.

Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

In lines 77-83

Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

“The growing popularity of YouTube has seen it become the third most visited website in the world. YouTube is a hosting site that allows users to share and create different types of video content. Regular users are mostly found in the 14-49 age group, with younger viewers now more likely to consume visual content through the site’s channels than through traditional television. YouTube, like Instagram, is also used by so-called influencers, and influencer followers account for 30% of the platform’s total usership (Arab & Díaz, 2015; Fernández & Sánchez, 2017; IAB Spain, 2021)2

In lines 166-173

“It is important to know what is the social implication observed in the activity developed by influencers, since youtubers and instagramers influence culture through their digital content, connecting with network users through their comments forming part of the construction of the identity of young people who feel emotionally related to them (Aran-Ramspott, Fedele & Tarragó, 2018; Casado-Riera & Carbonell, 2018; Jiang, & Ngien, 2020; Pérez-Torres, Pastor-Ruiz & Abarrou-Ben-Boubaker, 2018; Reece & Danforth, 2017; Sokolova, & Perez, 2021)”

2. Methodological aspects:

- the title "Materials and methods" could be replaced by "Research questions and methodology" or other expression that introduces the research goals, methods and sample;

Regarding this consideration, the Methods section has been called

- the justification of the sample is missing: the criteria behind the selection of the 4 influencers is not explained (ranking, convenience criteria, focus groups?). The auther justifies the selection by visiting the profiles of each of the influencers; and selecting the social networks in which they have the most followers. But it is a search based on the user experience, therefore biased,
Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

(a) the expression "total of twelve example" has been replaced by materials since what is selected are materials from the 4 infuencers. Specifically, YouTube and Instragram videos.

1. b) The idea that the influencers were selected based on the study carried out by the Marqyues de Olivia Foundation on 500 people was incorporated in the text. Subsequently, influencers were selected who indicated in their profiles that they were feminists or followed feminist theories.

Thus, we incorporated the following

“The analysis was based on multi-stage cluster sampling, which was obtained in three stages: first, the profiles of each of the influencers were visited. To select them, the study carried out by the Marqués de Olivia Foundation (2021) on 500 of the most influential people in Spain was followed. For this work, the four most influential of that study were selected, but who also indicated in their profile that they were feminists or that they followed feminist theories; secondly, the social networks in which they have the most followers were selected (Instagram was the most valued in all cases, followed by YouTube, in a secondary or complementary role to Instagram). Celebrities (from reality shows, for example) or public figures were voluntarily eliminated, leaving only the so-called "pure" influencers (Fundación Marqués de Oliva, 2021; IAB Spain, 2019; Influencer. MarketingHub, 2022; Sanz-Marco, Jiménez-Marín & Zam-brano, 2019; Santamaría & Meana, 2017), i.e. Yourubers, Instagramers...); and, finally, we carried out a process of observation and recording”

- influencers under analysis should be characterised/presented at the beginning of the empirical phase (even without their names)- to provide confidance that they were selected according to the theme of social inequalities (e.g. only at the end of the article do we know that they belong to the female gender).

Regarding its consideration, it should be noted that:

(a) the expression "total of twelve example" has been replaced by materials since what is selected are materials from the 4 infuencers. Specifically, YouTube and Instragram videos.

1. b) The idea that the influencers were selected based on the study carried out by the Marqyues de Olivia Foundation on 500 people was incorporated in the text. Subsequently, influencers were selected who indicated in their profiles that they were feminists or followed feminist theories.

Thus, we incorporated the following

“The analysis was based on multi-stage cluster sampling, which was obtained in three stages: first, the profiles of each of the influencers were visited. To select them, the study carried out by the Marqués de Olivia Foundation (2021) on 500 of the most influential people in Spain was followed. For this work, the four most influential of that study were selected, but who also indicated in their profile that they were feminists or that they followed feminist theories; secondly, the social networks in which they have the most followers were selected (Instagram was the most valued in all cases, followed by YouTube, in a secondary or complementary role to Instagram). Celebrities (from reality shows, for example) or public figures were voluntarily eliminated, leaving only the so-called "pure" influencers (Fundación Marqués de Oliva, 2021; IAB Spain, 2019; Influencer. MarketingHub, 2022; Sanz-Marco, Jiménez-Marín & Zam-brano, 2019; Santamaría & Meana, 2017), i.e. Yourubers, Instagramers...); and, finally, we carried out a process of observation and recording”

Regarding formal aspects, it is advisable to revise typing errors and references to the source, which is missing (p.2). Also, as the article is written in english, figures should be translated to ensure a full understanding.

The document has been revised both by the authors and by an English translator to try to correct any typographical defects that may exist. In addition, it has been revised to ensure that there are no inconsistencies.

[1] Schugurensky (2000) divides informal education into three categories: self-directed learning, incidental learning, and socialisation. In this study, we use the term ‘informal education’ as a synonym of socialisation