Samantha Elliott
Comp 106
6 November 2008
Project 2 Essay
Question: Why do girls feel the need to express themselves so openly on myspace?
Answer:
IF you look at a typical girl’s myspace page, they will be filled with pictures and an "about me" filled with extreme details of their life. Sure there are some exceptions, but these are typical pages. Most girls’ pages that I looked at had immense details in this particular section. Studies also show that females are using myspace profiles in larger numbers than males are.
The Gender Differences in "Social Portraits" Reflected in Myspace Profiles by Melissa Joy Magnuson and Lauren Dundes, helped me to understand why this was a little better. The article explains how girls feel that they always have to explain to society exactly who they are. Boys feel more complete for the most part. Their profile pages will usually be simple and to the point. They will not usually go into too much detail about their everyday lives because they already feel whole and do not have to tell society who they are.
Girls feel the need to always be telling everyone exactly who they are. I think that because girls feel the pressure, especially in high school, to life up to certain standards so they will make sure that they portray themselves that way. Girls will be more likely to change their "about me" more often if they feel they are falling outside of the norm that society expects.
When it comes to relationships, girls are definitely more open. 37% of females mentioned their significant other between two and ten times in their about me section compared to the 14% of males who did. In their interests section, 67% of males who were in a relationship made no mention of it whatsoever, whereas 47% of females did. In the relationship aspect, it seems like you’re "cool" if you have a significant other. Certain studies show that females are quick to change their status quickly if they enter or end a relationship. Females also feel the need to connect their career goals with their family goals.
All in all, I think females are caring too much about what society thinks and trying to fit into the norm. I don’t see the point in trying so hard to get someone to like you. Society should just accept people as they are. I have both a myspace and a facebook and both say that I am in a relationship but I do not mention my significant other or post pictures of him everywhere because I don’t see the point. Your personal love life should not be plastered for the world to see. Females just need to stop thinking so much about what society thinks.
Magnuson, Melissa and Lauren Dundes. Gender Differences in "Social Portraits"
Reflected in MySpace Profiles. Cyber Psychology and Behavior.
Volume 11. 2008.
Hempel, Jessi. The MySpace Generation. December 12, 2005.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_50/b3963001.htm
Thelwall, Mike. Social Networks, Gender and Friending: An Analysis
Of MySpace Member Profiles. August 9, 2007.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117954556/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0