1. Social networking sites and
love socialisation.
The case of Fotolog
Iolanda Tortajada, Núria Araüna
Rovira i Virgili University

2. OUR PROJECT FOCUSES ON:
-GENDER & MEDIA
-LOVE SOCIALISATION PROCESSES
-MEDIA AS SUPER PEER IN SEXUAL ISSUES (ALSO SOCIAL
NETWORKING SITES)
-DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION vs
POPULARITY

3. Data gathering: Fotolog
Spanish teenagers /
self-portray
(Snowball sample)
Fotolog entries from
400 different users
Fotolog albums from
18 users
Teenagers with 100+
pics per album

4. Methodology
CATEGORIES OF ANALYSIS
I. Specific Fotolog interaction
II. ‘To-be-looked-at-ness’
III. Hyper-ritualisation
IV. Sexual and affective
relationship models Critical Communicative
(traditional vs alternative) Methodology (Gómez, Latorre,
Sánchez, Flecha: 2006)].

5. Results and conclusions

6. I. Self-representation
‘Sexy’ usernames:
1. SEXUALISED Girls: put_it_in_me_smoothly
REPRESENTATIONS do_me_wildly
make_me_feel_yours
visual_pleasure
Teenagers make sexualised self- do_me_in_public
representations, both through the Boys:
meet_me_on_my_bed
usernames they choose (20% of doesn't_fit_in_your_hand
our sample) and through the single_and_no_commitment
I'll_set_you_on_fire
pictures they post (40% pose in I've_got_what_you_want
sexy clothing) condomless_night

7. I. Self-representation
2. GENDER
DIFFERENCES
Male users tend to portray themselves in active
poses, surrounded by objects that underscore their
power or position in a peer group
Women tend to focus their attention on beauty and
intimacy, while usually stressing how important their
(girl)friends and peer group are to them

8. II. Male gaze
Girls: ‘To-be-looked-at’-ness, implying a passive
exhibitionist female [body], made to give pleasure to an
active male spectator
(Mulvey)

9. III. Hyper-ritualisation
Both girls’ and boys’ poses
reflect advertisement gender
expressions

10. Calvin Klein Fotolog

11. IV. Relationship models
ALTERNATIVE MODEL TRADITIONAL MODEL
-Positive feelings towards Recurring patterns:
boyfriends/girlfriends who are Passion/Violence
supportive Love as destiny
- Solidarity (vs competition) among Dependence and self-
sacrifice
girls
Negative feelings
‘I love you more than anything, more
‘Thanks for than anything I can think of. I love you
listening to me baby when you insult me and when you push
☺ you are really me and when you are angry at me. I love
top, I mean it. you when, once you’re finished yelling at
(Comment between me, you hug me and you tell me I’m your
girlfriends) whole life’
(Female addressing male)

12. V. Hyper-ritualisation (qual.)
self-portraits
body-parts
friends
significant other
• Feminine touch
• Ritualisation of
subordination
• Licensed withdrawal
• To-be-looked-at-ness
• Sexual subjects
• Pleasing ourselves
• Lesbian pose

13. •Feminine touch
•Ritualisation of
subordination
•Licensed withdrawal
•To-be-looked-at-ness
•Sexual subjects
•Pleasing ourselves
•Lesbian pose
Goffman, Gender
Advertisements. 1979.
Fotolog.

14. Goffman, Gender
Advertisements. 1979.
• Feminine touch
• Ritualisation of
subordination
• Licensed withdrawal
• To-be-looked-at-ness
• Sexual subjects
• Pleasing ourselves
Fotolog. • Lesbian pose

15. Fotolog.
• Feminine touch
• Ritualisation of
subordination
Goffman, Gender • Licensed withdrawal
Advertisements. 1979. • To-be-looked-at-ness
• Sexual subjects
• Pleasing ourselves
• Lesbian pose

16. To-be-looked-at-ness
•Sexual subjects

17. • Lesbian pose

18. • Coherence over time

19. the supermodel
the languid romantic
the trash chic girl
Self-portrayal
• Coherence over time
• Sexualisation &
individualisation
• Code control
• Reproducing traditional values

20. Conclusions
Media as superpeer
Gender perspective * Risk perception/media
practices…

21. Thanks for your
attention!
yolanda.tortajada@urv.cat
nuria.arauna@urv.cat
Iolanda Tortajada, Núria Araüna (URV)
Cilia Willem, Lucrezia Crescenzi (UB)
Itxaso Tellado (UVic)