subscribe to this pageGirl wide web : girls, the Internet, and the negotiation of identity / edited by Sharon R. Mazzarella. [0820471178 (pbk. : alk. paper) ] New York : Peter Lang, c2005.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HQ798 .G525 2005
Call#: Van Pelt Library HQ798 .G525 2005
Looking specifically at the scholarly article entitled, "The Constant Contact Generation: Exploring Teen Friendship Networks Online." By Lynn Schofiend Clark. Pp. 203-221.
This essay examines how teenage girls are using the Internet and online social networks to stay constantly connected to friends and exert power over their social lives, even as they are confined to their parents’ homes. The author cites Giddens’ theory of using new technologies to minimize risk and applies it to how teenage girls use the Internet: They want to bring stability to their social status and peer groups (which is utterly important at that age), and they try to do so by remaining in constant contact. The author interviews teenage girls and attempts to find out, “how young people themselves explain what is important to them about their new media use” (208). What she found was that, as the essay chapter implies, what is important to them is to be always interacting with their peer groups and to get a private space to communicate with friends even within the public space of their home (online is private even when family members are in the same room, as opposed to the telephone). The author also asserts that online networks are a way for teenagers to approach peers and subjects that they might not feel comfortable confronting in person. This is another way in which social networks and online chatting can minimize risk.
Beyond this though, another major function of social networks is to “quantify, measure, and verify one’s popularity with one’s peers” (214). That one is the most problematic to me, as networks become popularity and attractiveness contests – this is definitely seen on facebook.com and MySpace.com. One of the most popular features of these two social networking sites is the ability to upload and tag pictures. In that way, not only can young girls choose pictures that frame their identity in a certain way, but it is also a way to show off what one did the previous weekend and who one’s friends are. Clark discusses the fragility of this age, but does not directly address the physicality that is brought to the forefront in many social networks. However, she does discuss the important element of “control over one’s environment” (216) which expresses itself in the formation of identity and the presentation of an edited/deliberate version of the self. As a side note, there are some other interesting essays in this collection (there are 11 total in this volume) which deal with the gendered nature of Internet interactions and how teenagers take part in fan culture.
tagged gender instant_messaging new_media online_popularity privacy social_networks teens virtual_friends
by rachee
...on 10-MAR-07
This New York Times articles discusses the Website FakeYourSpace.com which essentially sells its clients “friends” on social networking sites like Friendster.com, Facebook.com, and MySpace.com. The fact that this service exists illustrates not only how ubiquitous and popular social networking sites are but also how important they are to users. People will actually pay to appear more popular to those who might be checking their profiles online. Clearly, these networking sites have become an integral part in the identity formation and subjectivity of their users. The reason that this particular site was in the news was because they used pictures (of the “fake” friends) without a license to do so. The photos came from iStockPhoto.com and that company asked the founder of FakeYourSpace.com, Brant Walker, to stop using their photos. He complied and the Website was only down for 4 days. This is not the only site of its kind, nor are these types of services restricted to online social networks. One can also pay a fee to have messages left on his cell phone from “friends.”
This article highlights not only the interesting phenomenon of attractive “friends” on an online network increasing one’s value in the virtual and real world, but also the moral ramifications of such fakes. As long as the photographs are legally licensed, there are no legal problems, but the clients still have to see the falsity and superficiality of what they are doing. The service only costs 99 cents per month, so if it became popular enough (it already has 50,000 hits per month) , it ironically could actually negate the distinction between what the article calls, “cyberlosers” versus “social-networking magnets.” I wish the article had included quotes from actual users saying how they felt about the service (how frequently they use it/how many "fake" friends they have, how satisfied they are with it, do they feel it actually makes a difference in how their actual online friends perceive them).
tagged facebook.com identity_formation online_popularity social_networks virtual_friends
by rachee
...on 10-MAR-07
This is a humorous article which examines the phenomenon of college students giving up Facebook for lent. Articles like this really show how social networking sites have become part of the zeitgeist. Instead of giving up fried food or soda, many students are opting to give up logging on to instant messenger and Facebook.com. A surprising twist is that the clerics interviewed for the article actually support this; they say that giving up something like Facebook not only constitutes a true sacrifice but also frees up one’s time for other things. However, certain students were worried that they would feel utterly cut off from their social networks and friends during this period, missing out on birthday reminders, events, wall posts, etc. The way that this article presents Facebook as, “the connective tissue of undergraduate life” shows how ubiquitous this social network is and how important it has become to many of its members, who often spend hours on the site each day or week. However, in giving Facebook up for lent, there is also the connotation that it is something unhealthy that one is addicted to. One student admitted that she felt better not being on Facebook and wasn’t stalking people as much (only in the online sense of course). This article illustrates how important Facebook has become to many college students and when they give it up, even for just 40 days, there is the sort of discomfort that goes along with abandoning what has become a part of your identity, social life, and daily routine.
tagged facebook.com identity_formation internet social_networks students virtual_friends
by rachee
...on 10-MAR-07