Teen girls, sexual double standards and ‘sexting’: Gendered value in digital image exchange

Abstract

This article explores gender inequities and sexual double standards in teens’ digital image exchange, drawing on a UK qualitative research project on youth ‘sexting’. We develop a critique of ‘postfeminist’ media cultures, suggesting teen ‘sexting’ presents specific age and gender related contradictions: teen girls are called upon to produce particular forms of ‘sexy’ self display, yet face legal repercussions, moral condemnation and ‘slut shaming’ when they do so. We examine the production/circulation of gendered value and sexual morality via teens’ discussions of activities on Facebook and Blackberry. For instance, some boys accumulated ‘ratings’ by possessing and exchanging images of girls’ breasts, which operated as a form of currency and value. Girls, in contrast, largely discussed the taking, sharing or posting of such images as risky, potentially inciting blame and shame around sexual reputation (e.g. being called ‘slut’, ‘slag’ or ‘sket’). The daily negotiations of these new digitally mediated, heterosexualised, classed and raced norms of performing teen feminine and masculine desirability are considered.

Post-postfeminism?: new feminist visibilities in postfeminist times

“…Where earlier discussions focussed predominantly on media, the term now animates debates about work (Kelan, 2009), education (Ringrose, 2013), organizations (Lewis et al, forthcoming), peer culture (Winch, 2013Ringrose et al, 2013) the cultural and creative industries (Scharff, 2015), masculinities (Gwynne, 2013;Hamad, 2014;O'Neill, 2015a) and the body and sexuality (McRobbie, 2015;Elias et al, 2016). Far from receding or losing analytical relevance the notion seems to be gaining prominence as a way of engaging with some of the distinctive gendered features of contemporary neoliberal societies.…”

“…After decades of scholarship, activism, legislation and media discussion they still exist -animating school and social media cultures as well as sexual and intimate relationships in revitalized (though obviously not uncontested) ways (e.g. Ringrose et al, 2013;O'Neill, 2015b). This is but one example; there are innumerable others.…”

Developing social media literacy: How children learn to interpret risky opportunities on social network sites

“…Children may even play with the dangers of engaging with adult strangers (Willet & Burn, 2005). Although online drama may resemble bullying or harassment (Ringrose, Harvey, Gill, & Livingstone, 2013), it is distinctive in being reciprocal and performative: the drama is enacted among peers for a networked public (Ito, 2008).…”

Gender stereotypes in Facebook profiles: Are women more female online?

“…We have to bear in mind the sociocultural landscape surrounding the participants in the study, which in the present day and in a country that has developed rapidly from a highly traditional to a completely modern society is defined by a more liberal mindset in terms of sexuality and gender expectations than the dominant view of just a decade ago (which is the time period when many of the relevant studies cited herein were conducted). However, feminist authors (Bailey et al, 2013;Ringrose, Harvey, Gill, & Livingstone, 2013) argue that the mediatized celebrity culture instills in girls the notion that in order to be popular they must be attractive, sexy, light-hearted, have a boyfriend, and be active on the party scene, a message that points toward a new and different kind of stereotype and the rise of discriminatory gender norms that are not captured by the BSRI. Future studies on gender stereotypes on SNSs should bear that in mind.…”