iCelebrity and Evolving iCons
Women have made great strides in the society but they still suffer exploitation from varying quarters. The advancements in technology such as internet and the invention of social networking sites to improve friendship are some of the hallmarks that have changed the status of women in the society. Social networking sites enable people to acquire many friends but the friends exist almost virtually and it is impossible to interact with them. It is true that the friends in social networking sites may end up leaving one lonelier than before and contribute to less stable relationships.
The media have aided in improving the image of women in society. Women are now in a better place. The society has come to appreciate the fact that women and men possess equal capability on most fronts. Women have formed online communities where they interact and share on different activities. This helps women and girls to share information on what they go through and personal situations which is good for their emotional wellbeing.
It is a paradox that the same media that are trying to improve the image of women in the society is also responsible for continually displaying women as sex objects. The print and electronic media have displayed women as sex symbols. From music videos, to car model adverts, to cigarettes to cosmetic products, advertisers display pictures of nude girls in an attempt to woo customers. It is also common for girls to post nude pictures or videos of themselves on the internet. The rising numbers of female icelebrities who seek to rise to fame by being controversial in the media fuel the actions of these girls. In most cases teenage girls find these icelebrities “cools” and that is why they ape their action. I find this as counterproductive to the campaigns that seek to portray women as intellectuals and equals to men.
The author expansively covers girlhood in modern day America. I agree that the media and technology are the key pillars on which girls and women centre their lives. I find it amusing when the author dubs modern celebrities as "icelebrities". This is in light of high-tech gadgets like the ipod, ipad and the iphone that the contemporary society has taken as adding to ones prestige and social status. The devices are at the centre of girl culture media. Girls use the devices for social networking, entertainment as well as for official work.
The chapter contains information that I totally agree with that social networking sites have expanded the scope of friendship. The advantage of social networking sites is that enjoys the diversity of friends. One can befriend people from all social-economic backgrounds and sexual orientations and share their personal situations freely.
Though some friends exist in the literally virtually and one may never meet them, they satisfy an emotional need in women. They are able to keep in touch with people far away from them as well as make new friends. It is particularly true that, “teenage girls possess a power collectively to create stars through sheer force of their attention, determining who is “cool”.” (Sweeney, 2008 p. 249) Girls can genuinely become obsessed with superstars and show them genuine attention. If the star, in question aligns with what they refer to as “cool”, chances are that the girls will “recommend” him or her to their friends and popularize the star as “cool”. This can be fueled by the availability of social networking sites where they create “fanpages” for the star. The availability of high-tech portable devices such as ipads and iphones immensely aids in the popularizing the star in question.
References
Sweeney, K. (2008) Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age. Peter Lang. New York.
