AI, Media Algorithms, and Psychological Harm: Gendered Implications for Ethical Psychology and Mental Health

The swift adoption of Artificial Intelligence technologies in media production and dissemination has brought about a dramatic change in terms of psychological storytelling. This study concerns itself with the implications of AI-enhanced headline manipulation and viral algorithms that breed gender-insensitive, unethical, and psychically harmful media content, especially towards women and young audiences. Using antecedents of previous scholarly investigations and personal interactions with journalism program students over the last two years, this study points towards a reduction of factual and investigational reporting of women’s realities towards predictable and attention-driven storytelling. The results have shown that AI-assisted content platforms tend to promote selective attention, hate-based framing, victim blaming, and disregard for principles of psychological safety, gender sensitivity, and media ethics. Furthermore, it will examine in greater detail the impact of being confronted with these stories on public perceptions, the normalization of stigma, and mental health suffering. This study, which is underpinned by humanistic AI and ethical psychology paradigms, proposes that psychological ethics, gender sensitivity, and accountability systems must correlate with media practices in AI-mediated media. Also deriving from my work in You Are Not Alone and in Dhara for Dhara, this paper also underscores the importance of youth leadership education in enhancing media literacy. This paper contributes to ongoing debates about responsible uses of AI in highlighting media discourses as important vectors in ensuring that mental well-being is protected.