Proposal Title
Don't Panic! Representations of Girls and Social Media Addiction in Popular Culture
Submission Type
Individual Paper (In Person)
Start Date
June 2022
End Date
June 2022
Abstract
Feminist media scholars have shown that moral panics surrounding girls and new communication technologies stem from “a deep and persistent fear of adolescents” (Nash, 2006, p. 12) and reflect a patriarchal desire to supervise and control girls’ bodies and behavior (Mazzarella, 2019). Cassell and Cramer (2008), writing on girls’ use of the internet, argued that “the reason for this exaggeration of danger arises from adult fears about girls’ agency (particularly sexual agency) and societal discomfort around girls as power users of technology” (p. 55). While a moral panic may originate under the guise of protecting girls from potential harm, the result is often actual harm: a persuasive narrative that renders young women and girls as weak and disempowered in the face of technological change. The popular Netflix docudrama The Social Dilemma (2020) does this kind of harm. The film looks broadly at how social media platforms manipulate users, and it contributes to a larger debate about girls and their (over)use of social media, particularly Facebook-owned Instagram. At one point, the film depicts a biracial girl “addicted” to social media, obsessed with selfies, and victimized by online bullying. She is the image of an incompetent, unstable technology user—confused, lost, in danger, and in need of regulation, via federal legislation or platform oversight boards. I argue that we can and must raise public consciousness about entwined issues of social media manipulation, platform surveillance, algorithmic control, and mental health without denying girls their due agency as powerful technology users, creators, and innovators.
Don't Panic! Representations of Girls and Social Media Addiction in Popular Culture
Feminist media scholars have shown that moral panics surrounding girls and new communication technologies stem from “a deep and persistent fear of adolescents” (Nash, 2006, p. 12) and reflect a patriarchal desire to supervise and control girls’ bodies and behavior (Mazzarella, 2019). Cassell and Cramer (2008), writing on girls’ use of the internet, argued that “the reason for this exaggeration of danger arises from adult fears about girls’ agency (particularly sexual agency) and societal discomfort around girls as power users of technology” (p. 55). While a moral panic may originate under the guise of protecting girls from potential harm, the result is often actual harm: a persuasive narrative that renders young women and girls as weak and disempowered in the face of technological change. The popular Netflix docudrama The Social Dilemma (2020) does this kind of harm. The film looks broadly at how social media platforms manipulate users, and it contributes to a larger debate about girls and their (over)use of social media, particularly Facebook-owned Instagram. At one point, the film depicts a biracial girl “addicted” to social media, obsessed with selfies, and victimized by online bullying. She is the image of an incompetent, unstable technology user—confused, lost, in danger, and in need of regulation, via federal legislation or platform oversight boards. I argue that we can and must raise public consciousness about entwined issues of social media manipulation, platform surveillance, algorithmic control, and mental health without denying girls their due agency as powerful technology users, creators, and innovators.
Bio
Rachael Sullivan is an Assistant Professor at Saint Joseph’s University. She teaches design and digital ethics in the department of Communication and Media Studies. Her research focuses on visual design ethics and digital rhetoric, and her work has appeared in Present Tense and Computers and Composition.