IM and Identity

By far, one of my favorite parts of the readings this week was able how Korean and Arab girls view social media, whether its Facebook, instant messaging or something entirely different. As I discussed with my IM partner this week, it was so fascinating to me that such an important identity-shaper for American girls could be something so dull and frowned upon among girls in other cultures. Because U.S. culture in general allows for openness, especially on the internet, its easy for girls to share personal information about themselves online. In Arab countries its very different, and girls are looked down upon for creating online identities in fear of the girls looking out of control, promiscuous etc. Similarly, the material on Korean girls and Cyworld was equally interesting because of how much of a phenomenon it is in their country. I really enjoyed reading the narratives written by girls, and things like the passages on popular Cyworld photo poses reminded me of Facebook and how certain types of photos are popular on there.

I found the information about language norms to be really interesting as well. Stern discusses on page 30 how girls who don’t adhere to norms like using “lol” “brb” etc on the internet are more likely to be shunned than those who do. It would be the same thing as a girl speaking in Victorian English while her friends used a modern vocabulary. I did not realize the social impact this could have but it definitely makes sense. Social planning also becomes an important part of a girl using the internet. Its different than using phone lines or other forms of communication, because internet communication can for the most part be instantaneous. This means that a girl who does not have regular internet access may be completely ostracized if she has no means of gaining this critical social information. On page 123, the issue of access comes up, and its clear that girls coming from low income areas did not consider IM to be an important tool. This means that for many girls, what is critical in social development and communication among her peers is entirely unattainable to her.

Although IM can be useful for planning and being social, it can be detrimental when it comes to bullying and aggression. As stated on page 35, in the absence of authority figures, it is a lot easier for girls to use profanity, make threats and show aggression. Its interesting because in this sense, the Internet is a completely different world for girls. In reality, saying hateful things behind the safety of a computer screen is no better than saying them in real life. As discussed on page 42, IM can also be used to exclude other girls via things like “blocking” which is a form of bullying too.

The quote on page 114 of Instant Identity, “Within the realm of IM, girls thus are able to construct a self that according to their interviews is often stronger and more forceful than the one they project in person,” really resonated with me as well. Throughout my readings, I have found this to be incredibly true. Many people wouldn’t do or say half the things they engage in on the internet, especially girls. With this comes some negatives like bullying but it also allows for girls to explore their identity in a new way. As Stern notes though, social media can be used as a “crutch” for real, in person, social interaction that can be detrimental to a girl’s communication skills. Overall, I think the issue of girls and IM is something that will continue to be ongoing as new social media comes out. While today its Facebook, tomorrow it may be something entirely different and with that will come a whole slew of other issues impacting girls.