iolanda tortajada, núria araüna

Social networking sites and love socialisation.

The case of Fotolog

Iolanda Tortajada, Núria Araüna

Rovira i Virgili University

OUR PROJECT FOCUSES ON:

-GENDER & MEDIA

-LOVE SOCIALISATION PROCESSES

-MEDIA AS SUPER PEER IN SEXUAL ISSUES (ALSO SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES)

-DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION vs POPULARITY

Fotolog entries from

400 different users

Spanish teenagers / self-portray

(Snowball sample)

Fotolog albums from 18 users

Teenagers with 100+ pics per album

Data gathering: Fotolog

Methodology

I. Specific Fotolog interaction

II. ‘To-be-looked-at-ness’

III. Hyper-ritualisation

IV. Sexual and affective relationship models (traditional vs alternative)

Critical Communicative Methodology (Gómez, Latorre,

Sánchez, Flecha: 2006)].

CATEGORIES OF ANALYSIS

Results and conclusions

I. Self-representation

1. SEXUALISED

REPRESENTATIONS

Teenagers make sexualised self-

representations, both through the

usernames they choose (20% of

our sample) and through the

pictures they post (40% pose in

sexy clothing)

‘Sexy’ usernames: Girls: put_it_in_me_smoothly do_me_wildly make_me_feel_yours visual_pleasure do_me_in_public Boys: meet_me_on_my_bed doesn't_fit_in_your_hand single_and_no_commitment I'll_set_you_on_fire I've_got_what_you_want condomless_night

2. GENDER

DIFFERENCES

Male users tend to portray themselves in active

poses, surrounded by objects that underscore their

power or position in a peer group

Women tend to focus their attention on beauty and

intimacy, while usually stressing how important their

(girl)friends and peer group are to them

I. Self-representation

Girls: ‘To-be-looked-at’-ness, implying a passive exhibitionist female [body], made to give pleasure to an active male spectator (Mulvey)

II. Male gaze

Both girls’ and boys’ poses reflect advertisement gender expressions

III. Hyper-ritualisation

Calvin Klein Fotolog

TRADITIONAL MODEL Recurring patterns:

Passion/Violence Love as destiny Dependence and self-

sacrifice Negative feelings

ALTERNATIVE MODEL -Positive feelings towards boyfriends/girlfriends who are supportive - Solidarity (vs competition) among girls

IV. Relationship models

‘I love you more than anything, more than anything I can think of. I love you when you insult me and when you push me and when you are angry at me. I love you when, once you’re finished yelling at me, you hug me and you tell me I’m your whole life’ (Female addressing male)

‘Thanks for listening to me baby ☺ you are really top, I mean it. (Comment between girlfriends)

self-portraits body-parts

friends significant other

• Feminine touch • Ritualisation of

subordination • Licensed withdrawal • To-be-looked-at-ness

• Sexual subjects • Pleasing ourselves

• Lesbian pose

V. Hyper-ritualisation (qual.)

•Feminine touch •Ritualisation of subordination •Licensed withdrawal •To-be-looked-at-ness •Sexual subjects •Pleasing ourselves •Lesbian pose

Goffman, Gender

Advertisements. 1979. Fotolog.

• Feminine touch • Ritualisation of

subordination • Licensed withdrawal • To-be-looked-at-ness

• Sexual subjects • Pleasing ourselves

• Lesbian pose

Goffman, Gender

Advertisements. 1979.

Fotolog.

• Feminine touch • Ritualisation of

subordination • Licensed withdrawal • To-be-looked-at-ness

• Sexual subjects • Pleasing ourselves

• Lesbian pose

Goffman, Gender

Advertisements. 1979.

Fotolog.

•Sexual subjects

To-be-looked-at-ness

• Lesbian pose

• Coherence over time

Self-portrayal

• Coherence over time • Sexualisation &

individualisation • Code control • Reproducing traditional values

the supermodel the languid romantic the trash chic girl

Media as superpeer Gender perspective * Risk perception/media practices…

Conclusions

Thanks for your

attention!

Iolanda Tortajada, Núria Araüna (URV)

Cilia Willem, Lucrezia Crescenzi (UB)

Itxaso Tellado (UVic)

yolanda.tortajada@urv.cat

nuria.arauna@urv.cat