While the fantasy world of ‘tween’ offers girls a space to fashion a young, feminine identity it has been widely argued that the consumer-media’s messages pressure tween girls to consume and adopt highly sexualised appearances and behaviours.
Fiona MacDonald is Research Manager in the School of Social Sciences, Monash University Melbourne, Australia.
Introduction.- 1. Understanding the local, social worlds of pre-teens.- 2. Pre-teen girls’ desire for freedom and independence.- 3. Consuming Technology.- 4. Stepping Stones to Facebook.- 5. Consuming spaces: pre-teens negotiating their social worlds.- 6. The everyday nature of pre-teen girls lives.- Conclusion: Family, media and locality