That’s all fine and good and, in most instances, solid advice. But Daniels seems to overlook the fact that for some young women, sexuality is a defining feature of their identity, and they shouldn’t be diminished, reviled or rejected if that’s the case. To suggest that young women conform to this misguided assumption that their sexuality is somehow linked to their competence doesn’t do much for young women. It is important, though, for girls to consider why is it exactly that they want to upload that sexy selfie instead of a more conservative image — still, covering up isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay.
And, in the instance that girls and teens are simply responding to a culture that focuses primarily on their physical appearance and all but demands they portray themselves in a sexual manner, the issue is less with the way those young women respond and more with the cultural expectations themselves. Sure, posing in a pantsuit instead of a string bikini is one way to subvert social expectations of how women should portray themselves, but it doesn’t solve the virgin/whore dichotomy that Daniels and Zurbriggen call out in their study. Even with these findings, young women are still damned if they do and damned if they don’t post a sexy photo — so it’s important that girls, teens and young adults consider how they want to represent themselves online and whether it’s an accurate representation. Even if it’s a sexy one.
Article Appeared @http://www.salon.com/2014/07/15/women_who_post_sexy_photos_to_social_media_are_seen_as_less_competent/