This article examines gender differences in the use of gendered language features in “about me” sections and forum comments on MySpace. Although men and women communicated in more stereotypically gendered ways in the forums, linguistic androgyny prevailed in “about me.” It is likely that “about me” sections provoke a more gender-neutral style of communication, as they are the self-representation in MySpace. Moreover, presenting oneself androgynously will be more appealing to a wider spectrum of users.
Aries, E. ( 1996). Men and women in interaction: Reconsidering the differences . New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
2.
Baron, N. ( 2004). See you online: Gender issues in college student use of instant messaging. Journal of Language and Social Psychology , 23, 397-423.
3.
Canary, D.J., & Hause, K.S. ( 1993). Is there any reason to research sex differences in communication ? Communication Quarterly, 4, 129-145.
4.
Crystal, D. ( 2001). Language and the Internet. Cambridge , England: Cambridge University Press.
5.
Ellison, N., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. ( 2007). The benefits of Facebook "friends": Exploring the relationship between college students’ use of online social networks and social capital . Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), Article 1.
6.
Fox, A.B., Bukatko, D., Hallahan, M., & Crawford, M. ( 2007). The medium makes a difference: Gender similarities and differences in instant messaging. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 26, 389-397.
7.
Giles, H., Coupland, N., & Coupland, J. ( 1991). Accommodation theory: Communication, context and consequence . In H. Giles, J. Coupland, & N. Coupland (Eds.), Contexts of accommodation: Studies in emotion and social interaction (pp. 1-68). Cambridge , England: Cambridge University Press.
8.
Herring, S. ( 1994). Gender differences in computer-mediated communication: Bringing familiar baggage to the new frontier. Keynote talk at American Library Association Annual Convention, Miami, FL.
9.
Herring, S.C. ( 2003). Gender and power in on-line communication. In J. Holmes & M. Meyerhoff (Eds.), The handbook of language and gender (pp. 202-228). Oxford, England: Blackwell.
10.
Herring, S.C., & Paolillo, J.C. (2006). Gender and genre variation in weblogs. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 10, 439-459.
11.
Holmes, J. ( 1995). Women, men and politeness. London , England: Longman.
12.
Lakoff, R.T. ( 1990). Talking power: The politics of language in our lives . New York, NY: Basic Books.
13.
LaRose, R., & Eastin, M.S. ( 2004). A social cognitive theory of Internet uses and gratifications: Towards a new model of media attendance. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 48, 358-377.
14.
Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. ( 2007). Teens, privacy and online social networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace (Pew Internet and American Life Project). Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/211/report_display.asp
15.
Mulac, A. ( 1998). The gender linked language effect: Do language differences really make a difference? In D. J. Canary & K. Dindia (Eds.), Sex differences and similarities in communication: Critical essays and empirical investigations of sex and gender in interaction (pp. 127-153). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
16.
Mulac, A., Bradac, J.J., & Gibbons, P. ( 2001). Empirical support for the "gender as culture" hypothesis: An intercultural analysis of male/female language differences. Human Communication Research, 27, 121-152.
17.
Savicki, V. ( 1996). Gender language style and group composition in Internet discussion groups. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 2(3). Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.1996.tb00191.x/full
18.
Suler, J. ( 2004). The online disinhibition effect. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 7, 321-326.
19.
Sussman, N.M., & Tyson, D.H. ( 2000). Sex and power: Gender differences in computer-mediated interactions. Computers in Human Behavior, 16, 381-394.
20.
Thompson, R. ( 2006). The effect of topic of discussion on gendered language in computer-mediated communication discussion. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 25, 167-178.
21.
Thomson, R., Murachver, T., & Green, J. ( 2001). Where is the gender in gendered language? Psychological Science, 12, 171-175.
