Bodysnarking

The rise of Facebook, YouTube and social-networking in general has brought with it a “sport” known as “bodysnarking,” in which people post and dump on unflattering pictures of their acquaintances, reports Hannah Seligson in the Wall Street Journal (5/16/08). Hannah, who is author of “New Girl on the Job,” defines bodysnarking as “the snide, often witty, comments that have become a ubiquitous part of under-30 female conversation.” It is a result of the convergence of the digital camera, social-networking websites and a “tabloid culture (that) has made it fine to dissect other women’s looks.”

According to Nancy Redd, a former Miss America contestant, and author of “Body Drama,” bodysnarking had its “watershed moment … a few years ago when Google introduced its advertising program, AdSense.” She notes that this made it possible for “sites to track pages viewed and make ad revenues based on the number of visitors.” Because of this, bloggers such as Perez Hilton “realized that nobody cared about his personal shopping trips.” What they responded to were his snarky comments about celebrity photos, such as the one of Britney’s now-infamous flash, which he said reminded him of a roast beef sandwich.

In other words, bodysnarking can be a real moneymaker. Unfortunately, while bodysnarking may “come with the territory” for celebrities, the same treatment is now being dished out to everyone else — especially young girls. Lily Jay, who is 16, “says Facebook has made her peers much more comfortable commenting on each other’s appearance and has magnified the cruelty already commonplace among teenagers.” Others note this can be very damaging indeed. Molly Fowler, mother of two young daughters says that “when you think about how social networks can exacerbate the already enormous pressure to be thin, it’s terrifying.” ~ Tim Manners, editor