In recent years a great deal of contemporary research has centred its attention on teenagers’ online presence and behaviour, thus responding to educators and parents’ increasing concerns regarding privacy and safety on the Internet. This article is the result of an in-depth qualitative study looking at anonymous girls’ picture albums on Fotolog, one of Spain’s most popular social networking sites (SNS). The main goal is to gain insight into these girls’ self-representation strategies, looking at what kind of images they choose to upload and which of the gender displays found in mass media portrayals they incorporate. Coding was done according to Goffmanian categories of gender display and performance (feminine touch, ritualization of subordination, licensed withdrawal), combined with findings from other studies (male gaze, representation as sexual subjects, pleasing ourselves and lesbian pose). Results show that girls are quite skilful in their self-representation techniques – and become more successful in conveying a specific image of themselves over time by using Fotolog affordances, which suggests that these sites allow them to freely experiment with identity and play with conventional codes of gender display. We identified at least three gender display codes girls play with: the supermodel, the languid romantic and the trash chic girl. Further research involving interviews with Fotolog teen users should reveal the extent to which these girls are aware of privacy and safety issues related to their self-representations.
This paper presents the results of a research study that analyzes the quantitative content of 355 entries on the social network Fotolog to determine the type of information shared by adolescents on the Web 2.0. The variables considered are related to intensity of use of the platform, the personal information disclosed, and the representational strategies used. The study concludes that Spanish adolescents strategically manage personal information and privacy. Adolescents sacrifice part of their privacy in exchange for the popularity and prestige they obtain as a result of being recognized by others in their idealized identity of themselves that they present.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.