Cybergrrrls: Exploring The Next Frontier
I can clearly remember the first time I stumbled across my now 14-year-old sister’s homepage. Being the over-protective sister that I am, I was at first upset that she had been posting information over the Internet (and that she had her own computer in her room way before I was allowed to have one!), but after looking over her page, I was absolutely in awe of her work. Unknown to the rest of her family, she had taught herself Photoshop, and was creating and posting digital images and collages of her favorite bands, TV shows, and actors. Her knowledge of digital media and graphic design was nothing short of outstanding, especially to someone like me who has absolutely no idea how to work outside of Microsoft Paint. She had enabled a guestbook, much like the “serial community” discussed in “All About the Girl,” where people were leaving her comments of praise, as well as suggestions and tips on how to improve on her next designs (Reid-Walsh, Mitchell 179). As this was my first real introduction to girls’ use of the Internet, I was pleasantly surprised to read about cybergrrrls in a positive light, rather than with the usual warnings accompanied whenever the subject is approached.
Reid-Walsh and Mitchell write in “All About the Girl” that, “girls’ activities and actions were restricted more to the private sphere, while boys were allowed to roam more freely in the public space of the street;” this was especially true for my sister and I growing up. Watching the tomboy video in class last week made me wish that I had been given the freedom to explore when I was younger, to get my feet dirty and not be afraid of bruising. Because my sister, along with many other young girls, are also not permitted much permission to wander far from home, the Internet truly does become a place of safe exploration and discovery. Not only can girls hone their digital skills through “Lego creativity,” but they can also learn about the world around them (Reid-Walsh, Mitchell 177). Attending Catholic school from pre-school-8th grade, the Internet was my own personal education growing up, and websites such as http://www.scarleteen.com/, http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/, and http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/ were quite literally my only forms of safe-sex education. These sites, especially the LiveJournal blog, help create a community of girls who can share advice, similar stories, and inspiration with one another. After talking with my sister about her homepage, I discovered that, as described in the text, she was able to form friendships with many of the people she met online. Although this can obviously lead into dangerous territory, she was very cautious in sharing only information about her interests, and nothing personal that would let anyone know her real name, her age, or where she lived. Through these shared interests in boy bands, shows, books, and music, she was able to create a safe space for herself in which she was not judged on her looks, or required to live up to any standards. Because my sister was creating media herself, she was not limited to showing her support of her favorite pop culture through consumerism and countless dollars. She was able to find her voice, her creativity, and her passion for digital media, which she now hopes to pursue in college.
Although these are obviously great advantages of Internet use, it must be noted that these benefits can only be utilized by girls who have the privilege of Internet access. For those who do not have access to a computer, modem, or the knowledge of how to use this technology, the ability to create a virtual room of one’s own is lost. It is thus important for feminists to address these issues, and work towards the goal of making computers very accessible to the public. Public libraries often offer computer usage and seminars free of charge, which is an excellent step in the right direction. By teaching girls to create, innovate, and connect with others, the feminist movement can reach out to a much larger audience and form a tightly knit group of media-savvy, educated, and informed women world-wide.
Reid-Walsh and Mitchell write in “All About the Girl” that, “girls’ activities and actions were restricted more to the private sphere, while boys were allowed to roam more freely in the public space of the street;” this was especially true for my sister and I growing up. Watching the tomboy video in class last week made me wish that I had been given the freedom to explore when I was younger, to get my feet dirty and not be afraid of bruising. Because my sister, along with many other young girls, are also not permitted much permission to wander far from home, the Internet truly does become a place of safe exploration and discovery. Not only can girls hone their digital skills through “Lego creativity,” but they can also learn about the world around them (Reid-Walsh, Mitchell 177). Attending Catholic school from pre-school-8th grade, the Internet was my own personal education growing up, and websites such as http://www.scarleteen.com/, http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/, and http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/ were quite literally my only forms of safe-sex education. These sites, especially the LiveJournal blog, help create a community of girls who can share advice, similar stories, and inspiration with one another. After talking with my sister about her homepage, I discovered that, as described in the text, she was able to form friendships with many of the people she met online. Although this can obviously lead into dangerous territory, she was very cautious in sharing only information about her interests, and nothing personal that would let anyone know her real name, her age, or where she lived. Through these shared interests in boy bands, shows, books, and music, she was able to create a safe space for herself in which she was not judged on her looks, or required to live up to any standards. Because my sister was creating media herself, she was not limited to showing her support of her favorite pop culture through consumerism and countless dollars. She was able to find her voice, her creativity, and her passion for digital media, which she now hopes to pursue in college.
Although these are obviously great advantages of Internet use, it must be noted that these benefits can only be utilized by girls who have the privilege of Internet access. For those who do not have access to a computer, modem, or the knowledge of how to use this technology, the ability to create a virtual room of one’s own is lost. It is thus important for feminists to address these issues, and work towards the goal of making computers very accessible to the public. Public libraries often offer computer usage and seminars free of charge, which is an excellent step in the right direction. By teaching girls to create, innovate, and connect with others, the feminist movement can reach out to a much larger audience and form a tightly knit group of media-savvy, educated, and informed women world-wide.
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