"When did Facebook become my girlfriend?" : gender and self-presentation on Facebook

Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-50)A content analysis of Facebook profiles of undergraduate students examined the profile pictures and status updates to reveal how self-identified males and females construct their identity in this online environment. The findings revealed that perhaps users view statuses and profile pictures differently in regards to strategies of self-presentation. However, some findings also revealed that identity on Facebook is constructed using stereotypical ideas of gender. Although studies have been done on social networking sites, sociological concepts have been greatly ignored in regards to Facebook. More research needs to be done, especially in the field of sociology, to examine how this novel social environment is affecting the identity construction and social interaction of people today