Oscillating between objectification and agency: Young women's accounts of dealing with ‘being sexualized’ on social media

Abstract

A growing body of empirical research investigates the impact that sexual objectification of young women on social media has on their well-being. The aim of the present study is to explore how young women navigate sexual objectification and body-focused posting practices on social media in the context of postfeminist sensibilities. Drawing on individual interviews, which we analyzed using critical discursive psychology, we found that while participants critiqued the sexual objectification of women on social media, they still engaged in body-focused posting practices for validation. This apparent contradiction was associated with affective struggles related to navigating societal expectations, which they managed through three interpretative repertoires: ‘It's only 24 hours’, which normalizes the temporary nature of posts as less ‘risky’; ‘Empowered to post, judged for posting’, minimizing personal responsibility by situating practices within collective norms; and ‘I show my body if I want to’, reclaiming agency by reframing self-sexualization as empowerment. The study highlights the affective struggles participants face in balancing critique, conformity and resistance within a digital landscape shaped by postfeminist frameworks that promote sexualization while valuing individual responsibility and self-surveillance. This study contributes to understanding the nuanced ways young women negotiate agency and objectification in digital spaces.