A review of online social networking profiles by adolescents: implications for future research and intervention

Adolescence, Summer, 2008 by Amanda L. Williams, Michael J. Merten

All profiles contained images posted by the author (n = 100), 83% of which were deemed appropriate while 17% were inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate images included an individual urinating, shirtless females dancing on tables with shirtless males, photos of a homemade device captioned as a "working bomb," individuals drinking alcohol as well as pictures of alcohol bottles/cans. There were also photos taken from mirror reflections of nude males with the image stopping just above the genitals, often referred to by authors and friends as their "V" because of the V-shaped abdominal muscles just above male genitalia. These "V" images typically excluded part or all of the face of the individual photographed. Some pictures were conservative in content, but were accompanied by inappropriate captions containing references to alcohol or substance use and intoxication, profanity, obscene gestures, or suggestive/sexual body postures.

Of comments made about family, 37% were positive about parents and 22% were positive about siblings; 16% of participants made negative comments about parents with negative sibling comments accounting for 2% of responses. Regarding school issues, male profiles did not contain content related to skipping school while 4% of female profiles contained the topic. Fourteen percent of males' and 13% of females' profiles referenced a plan or desire to attend college. Of all blogs reviewed, 58% referenced athletics in some capacity--either making participatory comments or discussing a general interest (males 34%; females 24%).

Social issues included comments about peers with 97% of the entire sample making positive statements about or to their friends; 100% of female profiles contained positive peer comments compared to 94% of male profiles. Most blogs included special interest topics such as

movies, music, books, and hobbies (71%), and 40% of all blogs reviewed referenced prior social gatherings or attended "parties"--some with revealing details of participants' activities such as this comment posted about a new club in town: 'Very loose 18 ID to enter; You know how the rest goes ..." (see Table 2).

Risk behaviors made up a significant portion of content observed from the sample, with 84% of profiles and blog discussions containing some type of risk-taking behaviors; 83% percent of profiles included discussion or referencing of substances, 81% referenced alcohol, and 27% discussed illegal drugs. Fifty-six percent of authors stated that they did not smoke. Across-sample rates of criminal activity content were near-equal with 15% of blogs discussing some type of crime; 9% of blogs referenced shoplifting or stealing, while others referenced rape, selling drugs, gambling, vandalism, and automobile infractions.

Nearly half of all blogs contained some form of sexual content with 44% using explicit or graphic language and 16% referencing sexual activity. Some of the sexual content was extremely explicit in nature as represented in text and imagery. Certain references were also made about specific types of sexual activity including individuals' virginity statuses. Naturally, profanity is intimately intermingled with sexual content and the overall frequency of any type of profane language among all profiles was 81%, almost evenly distributed within the sample. Twenty-seven percent of profiles include statements relating to physical harm of self or others such as gang references, suicidal ideation, discussion of fights, or images of weapons implying violence.