This document summarizes a study on the interactions of gifted girls with social media. It discusses how gifted girls use social media to meet peers and manage their image to gain acceptance. It also explores how they feel pressure to curate an idealized appearance and lifestyle to gain attention and approval online. The girls feel they must carefully craft their public persona and identities to avoid judgment. They are anxious about gaining "likes" and worry about posts not being validated. Educators are encouraged to provide mentoring and guidance for students on developing leadership skills and managing their online brands and identities.

1. MEET, PREY, LIKE
A study of gifted girls’ interactions
with social media
Twitter: @eunicegprice Email:eunicegprice@gmail.com

3. OVERVIEW
MEET PREY LIKE
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4. BACKGROUND
• Methodology
• Participants
• Data Collection
• Analysis

5. MEET
• Social difficulties
• Isolation
• Conformity
“Gifted girls do not want to be considered different from their friends and
same-age peers. Indeed, a tendency exists for many females, regardless of
age, to try to minimize their differences. For many gifted girls, however, the
problem becomes more difficult as…their talents and gifts set them apart
from their peers and friends” (Reis, 2002, p.7).
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6. MEET
Social Media
• Develop relationships
• Adolescent development
• Feedback
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7. MEET: Findings & Discussion
• Virtual
meeting space
• Image
management
“You wanna look your
best on Facebook…
You want someone to
see you. You want
them to say, ‘Woah!
She’s pretty.’”
–Gina, participant

8. MEET: Findings & Discussion
• Virtual
meeting space
• Image
management
• Judgment
“I don’t post statuses
often…If I was more
into posting things
about myself, there
would, I would
probably have more
negative”
–Sarah, participant

9. PREY
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• Sex-role
stereotyping &
socialization
• Emphasis on
appearance
during teen
years
• Media
representation

10. PREY: Stalkbook & the Micro-Celebrity
Photo source: http://www.top100influencers.com/
“The phenomenon of
being extremely well-known
not to millions but
to a small group – a
thousand people, or
maybe only a few dozen”
(Thompson, 2007, par.3)

11. PREY: Findings & Discussion
Photo source: Sebastian Wiertz, Flickr
“It seems normal now that if
you want to know someone,
you can go on their Facebook
or you can go on their Twitter
or their Tumblr to see what
their personality is like… It
seems so normal
now for everyone to be a
little bit privy into everyone
else’s life.”
-Alice, participant

12. PREY: Findings & Discussion
Photo source: Sebastian Wiertz, Flickr
The tension of juggling
online vs offline
Multiple identities:
personal, leadership,
school, peer, societal

13. PREY: Findings & Discussion
• Paparazzi complex
• Taking care when
cameras are
around
Photo source: Jennifer Gensch, Flickr
“Someone will be taking a photo. If…I’m holding a glass of
champagne, I will put it down before they can take it,
or I won’t be in the photo, or I’ll hold it out of the way.”
-Alice, participant

14. PREY: Findings & Discussion
• Paparazzi complex
• Taking care when
cameras are
around
Photo source: Jennifer Gensch, Flickr
“I also untagged myself from a lot of photos especially ones that
maybe put me in a negative light either because I looked
terrible or…at a party and I am student leader so I do need to filter…
the images that are shown of me…If I’m in a photo and someone’s
horrendously drunk behind me, it’s not a good look.”
-Bridie, participant

15. LIKE
• Low self-esteem, low self-confidence
• Perfectionism
• Imposter syndrome
“Too many talented females spend their lives trying to be perfect. In
addition to investing considerable energy in trying to be the best
athlete, the best dancer, the best scholar, the best friend, and the
best daughter, young girls and women often feel that they must also
be slender, beautiful, and popular.” –Reis, 2002, p.9
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16. LIKE: Social Media
• Self-disclosure
• Self-presentation
•Posting does not happen in vacuum

17. LIKE: Findings & Discussion
“In my generation, almost for something to exist,
people have to know about it…
…They just have to feel like someone has to like it for it to
have value or something.” –Imogen, participant

18. LIKE: Findings & Discussion
“I never do status updates because what if they’re s#@!...
and I don’t get likes?
…I’ll only make a status if it’s a given that it’s going to get
lots of likes…” –Gina, participant

19. LIKE: Findings & Discussion
• The power of the LIKE
• LIKE and identity
• LIKE and my brand
“He often talks to us about our brand
and our image…Because we have been
named as leaders…we are…the cream
of the crop, and we should be proud
of that and…showcase this… A
personal brand would be something
that you would present to
other people.” –Bridie, participant

20. CONCLUSION: Implications for educators
• Mentoring for the role as part of leadership
development
• Programme for young leaders
• School policy process
• Consultation with students and wider
community
• Whole-school approach to social media