Online Spaces, Memes, and Girlhood

I think that new media spaces, while they have changed the way information is conveyed, have not generally changed the message.  Although online spaces might alter certain aspects of one’s identity – for example, guest books, blog comments, and message boards afford introverts an opportunity to be extroverts, in those contexts – people’s identities don’t undergo a major transformation online.  One could posit that people using the internet present an idealized self, but this is also true in the offline world: we all project a certain image in public, and while that projection usually corresponds to a greater or lesser degree to our private selves, there is almost always a degree of disconnect.  (Anecdotal: in public spaces, I act like an extrovert, but in private, I am introverted to the core.)  However, one element of the online world, memes, seems to be affecting girlhood and communication in a way that other mediums are not. 

I mentioned this in another comment, but I am fascinated in people’s social media profiles, because they provide a window into both the person’s view of themselves and their desired projections of themselves to others.  One way that social media differs from offline identity is the control one has over their image.  In the “real world”, behavior and speech can only be controlled to an extent; faux pas are frequent and unavoidable.  Online, one can project a much more calculated image of themselves.

A popular trend among Facebook users is the meme – typically, an- image with accompanying words meant to be humorous, but often providing a social observation (sometimes sarcastically, sometimes poignantly).  There are memes relating to sex, religion, politics, and relationships, among other topics.  Memes seem to be growing steadily in popularity, and are spread by clicking “share” – usually, a user will see a meme on a friend’s Facebook wall and then share it on their own.  I find women’s use of memes particularly interesting.  The memes they share often express a sentiment that they would not feel comfortable sharing directly, in something like a status update or note, but sharing it via a meme is safe and more acceptable.  Perhaps in this way, memes have changed girls’ online spaces by giving them permission to be as assertive as boys and men – who, traditionally, do not feel the need to use a medium like memes to express opinions that could rock the boat.  Memes might change the way girls communicate.

And while both male and female users on Facebook use memes, I wonder if girls and women share them at higher rates?  But then I also wonder ... are memes increasing girls' assertiveness, or are they just providing another was for girls to be indirect in expressing themselves?

An example of a meme (a personal favorite):

Hayley