Social Networks

After spending some time scrolling through Facebook, I have realized that most of the posts on my timeline are from acquaintances rather than friends. These people, mostly girls, post humorous video clips, edited photos, and statuses that come off as bragging. Most of the profile pictures on Facebook are edited to make the girls appear more tan with filters and other mobile apps. In addition, the girls seem to only post pictures that they personally approve of and do not care if the person tagged in the picture does or does not approve of it. For instance, many of my girlfriends become worried whenever they get a notification that they are tagged in a picture. This is the case because they are paranoid about how they look on the Internet. They have this notion that they must appear skinny, tan, and happy in every single picture posted online. 

In contrast, the boys on my timeline post much less frequently and generally talk about politics and sports. They are not concerned about edited pictures of themselves in the way girls are. In my opinion, Facebook pages are gendered and serve as virtual personalities. These pages are not accurate descriptions of the individuals that they represent. They simply show a skewed personality of the person because the owner of the page only posts statuses and pictures that he or she wants everyone to see. It is unfortunate that individuals in college post several pictures of themselves out partying while wearing scandalous outfits. These posts can be seen by future employers and prevent the Facebook user from being hired. Several of my friends try to prevent this from happening by using Facebook names that are not exactly their full name. For example, a girl named Jennifer Smith might have a Facebook name, Jenn Jenn S. It is important for Facebook users to be careful with the things that they post because their posts can be seen by anyone anywhere in the world. 

In the article “Why You (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life” by Danah Boyd, the author explains how many teenagers relate being popular and cool with having a profile on social media. Teenagers and young adults use social media multiple times a day to present themselves and make personal statements about themselves and others. However, these teens are abusing the social media sites and in some instances using it as a form of bullying. Our society needs to take action to prevent the harms of social media within the teenage population. It is important for parents to overlook the pages of teenagers so these teens can prevent themselves from being attacked; parents can also monitor the pages so the teens do not use the social media sites in a negative way.