Eelteismeliste tütarlaste virtuaalse identiteedi konstrueerimine portaalis rate.ee
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Virtual Identity Construction of Pre-Teen Girls in SNS Rate.ee
The purpose of my BA thesis was to study how pre-adolescent girls construct their virtual
identity in popular Estonian SNS rate.ee. I focused on 10-year-old to 12-year-old female
rate.ee users. To research the data from 100 accounts I used content analysis method. The
categories I created included different textual, visual and audiovisual opportunities for virtual
self-presentation. The basic concepts of theory were identity, self-presentation, impression
management and virtual identity. Many of my assuptions and translations of my findings had
connections with several previous authors’ findings and theories.
The results showed relatively high amount of disclosed personal and contact information on
the accounts of pre-adolescent female users. In many cases that information seemed to be
enough to identify the girls in real life (IRL). Boyd (2008) and Larsen (2009) noted that SNS
profiles are mainly created for friends and peers, presuming that boundary betweet offline and
online is blurred.
Pre- adolescent girls used textual self-presentation rather for social purposes. The possibility
to write additional information was used approximately by half of the users, however, only
few described one-self. Mostly, the information introduced and regulated several non-formal
social norms and rules of behaviour in rate.ee. Belonging to clubs and showing one’s interests
was far more popular for self-presentation among pre-adolescent girls. Relying on
Buckingham (2008) it could be said that clubs and interests help youngsters to individuate self
from others and belong to a certain social group.
10-12 year old females did not use photo processing frequently for self-presentation, instead a
great deal of users prefered to insert textual descripiton below their pohotos, mostly
dedicating pictures to their friends and peers. Theorists ( Parker et al 2006) claim that during
adolescent-period peers play the most important role in child’s development of identity. The
influence of family is displaced by friends and peers. Hence, bearing friends in mind and acknowledging them with photo-dedication helps to confirm and reinforce offline-world
friendships in virtual world.
The collected data showed that free additional functions without any cost are chosen more
often for self-presentations. The priced skin (background image) and status were found only
on under the half of the accounts (i.e. status was used by 10 out of 100 girls), whereas 60-70
users kept free diaries, characterized each other and added videos from Youtube to their
accounts. I concluded that, however, skin is very eye-catching and distinctive feature, girls in
pre-adolescence are economically depending on their parents and principal of status can be
expressed for free elsewhere.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd