“Yes, I'm Worth It”: The Economy of Girls' Photo Rating in Social Network Sites

In the wake of moral panic concerning facebook group that invited teenagers to post and rate their photos, this article draws on 6 focus groups conducted with teenage girls to explore how participants reflect upon the economy of visibility in such rating games. Analyzing the girls’ discourse, we find that they identify a correlation between sexually explicit images and high ratings, and that they use both psychological and economic frames to interpret this relationship. We suggest that ironically, the quantified explicitness of Liking crystalizes for the girls the price tag for each choice that they make, the double standard that underlies this economy—and their ability to tease and to challenge it.

In their study, Davidson and Ribak (2016) identify a correlation between sexually explicit images and high ratings, and that they use both psychological and economic frames to interpret this relationship. Ironically, the quantified explicitness of Liking crystalizes for the girls the price tag for each choice that they make, the double standard that underlies this economy—and their ability to tease and to challenge it.