African American Girls on MySpace

This study examined 50 MySpace profiles constructed§by 14-17 year old African American females attending§a Los Angeles public high school during the 2007-8§academic year. The text, images and multimedia§applications found in these profiles were analyzed in§relation to gender and racial ideologies that§permeate popular mass media. These public profiles§function as intersectional digital bodies wherein§signs and messages used to communicate and socialize§with others are publicly broadcast on the Internet.§MySpace is a corporate entity ripe for viral§marketing and although advertising is part of its§social fabric, most profiles in this sample were§largely devoid of logos and did not link to corporate§profiles as friends within the network. These§profiles did reveal images and text that were§ideologically aligned with white, heterosexual love,§Western standards of beauty and constructions of§femininity. However, they did not transmit racist§or homophobic ideologies via images, text or§multimedia applications. Ultimately these profiles§represent the creative and multifaceted digital§identities constructed by a select group of young§African American females on MySpace. This study examined 50 MySpace profiles constructed§by 14-17 year old African American females attending§a Los Angeles public high school during the 2007-8§academic year. The text, images and multimedia§applications found in these profiles were analyzed in§relation to gender and racial ideologies that§permeate popular mass media. These public profiles§function as intersectional digital bodies wherein§signs and messages used to communicate and socialize§with others are publicly broadcast on the Internet.§MySpace is a corporate entity ripe for viral§marketing and although advertising is part of its§social fabric, most profiles in this sample were§largely devoid of logos and did not link to corporate§profiles as friends within the network. These§profiles did reveal images and text that were§ideologically aligned with white, heterosexual love,§Western standards of beauty and constructions of§femininity. However, they did not transmit racist§or homophobic ideologies via images, text or§multimedia applications. Ultimately these profiles§represent the creative and multifaceted digital§identities constructed by a select group of young§African American females on MySpace.