Whoopsies...

I as well did not hear about the group postings... rats. And this is also late... drats.

Danah Boyd's article certainly answered its title, "Why Youth Heart Social Network Sites." Providing a list of reasons ranging from the specific need of a teen-only public sphere in today's adult-oriented world, to the generic need of teens to fit in and be cool, Boyd has told me exactly why I do the things I do. I used to be a conscientious objector to Facebook and Myspace (I imagine most Brown students, or at least the ones taking this class, share a similar history), but I wanted to keep in touch with some friends from a summer camp and so I made a Facebook account. I do not have a MySpace, and I never did, although my band used the site because we couldn't figure out how to upload streaming music files on our actual website. Facebook soon became a large part of my life, and I eagerly enjoy the social voyeurism and minor drama that adds spice to my otherwise boring, insignificant life. Ironically enough, that was an instance of the difficulty in online communication--no easy way to indicate sarcasm. But continuing on!

The article mostly pointed to things I already knew about teen social behavior. But one thing that really sparked my imagination, that Boyd barely mentioned, is the presence of contradiction in the way adult society views teenage life. There were a lot of slashes and semicolons in that section, if I recall. Boyd says, "We sell sex to teens but prohibit them
from having it; we tell teens to grow up but restrict them from the vices and freedoms of
adult society" (21). The adult public tends to either idealize teens or demonize them, criticizing gang violence and teen loitering while simultaneously marketing heavily to them. I wonder what social trend this symbolizes, or if this has anything to do with Boyd's statement about the generational gap being brought on by the advent of high schools and technological disparities. But it certainly is true; most anguish and confusion in teen life is brought on by this confusion. The contradictions in the adult view of teenagers certainly reflect the choice that users of MySpace have in either being, as Boyd calls it, cool or lame: a user can either be peer-oriented, use swear words and proclaim risky activities admired by peers, or acquiesce to parent wishes and, if not pursue, at least not admit to pursuing such goals.

Really, why is it that roller rinks, activity centers, and drive-in movie theaters have disappeared? Today's teen population is as robust and consumer-oriented as ever. This is less a question of digital media and more one of anthropology, but it's interesting nonetheless. Perhaps it's a reflection of the emphasis of choice, privacy, and individualism that has become even more apparent in the days since the fifties, when such choices were popular and the teen subculture was still similar to what it is today. Even the contradiction in today's malls--teens are a nuisance while simultaneously the reason why they exist--could perhaps just be an extension of the contradiction of being a teenager. There is a need to rebel, to be different from one's parents and communicate in a peer-only world, but simultaneously be ready to assimilate to the world's norms and expectations. I can relate personally; one time, when I was caught drinking by my parents in high school, my mom scolded me while my father merely smiled and nodded. My mother wanted to protect me from risky behavior, but my father may have been satisfied that I was a socialite, partying with friends rather than sheepishly pursuing less reckless behavior. I imagine most other teens lived through something similar.

Is there anything to do to address this contradiction, and perhaps make it a little easier on teens to understand what, exactly, is expected of them? Probably not. The appearance of generational gaps are well entrenched in American society, as well as across the globe, coming along with the widespread availability of high school and college. Peer networks are essential in assimilating into society, and it's not like getting rid of them will make it any easier to grow up. Plus, Nietzsche says life's a contradiction anyway, and in order not to avoid nihilistic despair we have to pretend it isn't, which is itself another contradiction... so might as well get used to the contradictions early.

I had forgotten how hard it was being a teenager. Good thing it's all done now, and my days of needing a peer-oriented community are over. Time to sign off, I have a notification on Facebook I need to check out.

--Dan Ricker