... to be profoundly depressed to see my 17 YO niece and so many of her friends in states of undress on their facebook profile pics?

[spicemonster]

Apart from nipples (which we know from the breastfeeding debacle are verboten on facebook), several of them are naked bar their pants/bikini bottoms. And of those that are wearing slightly more, most of them are pouting at the camera in the manner of a Zoo cover. I just find it hugely depressing. These are intelligent young women, doing their A levels or at university.

When I was that age, we were determined that we wouldn't be seen as sex objects and would have been appalled to have photos like that of us around, much less put it up as a profile picture for the whole world to leer at. And now it seems like it's all a bit of a laugh. No wonder sexism isn't taken seriously.

that is depressing, what's gone wrong with society?

I thought this until I realised I was just jealous I don't look like that after 30 years of life, 2 children and 13 years of marriage!

spicemonster
Actually I heard a really interesting article on R4 today about this exact subject.
Basically, it is illegal for any minor (under18) to publish indecent photos. That includes any provocative and suggestive pics as well as nudity. They could be arrested and charged!!!! If you want to try and listen again it was weekend womans hour.
I definitely think you should let your niece know, that if she is caught it could result in a criminal record and be on the sex offenders register.

YANBU

I heard teenagers discussing how they couldn't wait til 16th b-days as their parents were getting them a boob job

IT seems to have gone so far against what I grew up hating.

I'm not jealous I don't think. Even if I had looked like that at her age, I never would have put a photo of myself virtually naked on the web, never.

I feel that teenagers just want to be porn stars today.
They all seem to have poker straight bleached hair, fake tan a nd fake nails and wear very little clothes.
What happened to individualty?
What do you expect when on the high st there is a neew 'pole dancing classroom'?
Young people are bombarded by sexual imagery it si no wonder really.
But ver very sad

doesn't mean they still cant be bright articulate undergrad's.they aren't coerced to post pictures

haven't obviously seen the pictures,but doesn't necessarily make the girls bimbo's.nor should we infer they care not about equality,sexism etc

I suspect if I looked hot I might have that kind of profile pic!

Best not be friends with family members of a different generation on facebook tbh! My mum keeps sending me friend requests, but there are just some things she's better off not knowing...

teenagers just want to be porn stars today. i rally must take issue with gross sweeping generaliastion - what a deluded tirade

I dont mean all teenagers.
I feel sorry for them that so much pressure is put on them to look like the girls from the lads mags.
When I was a teenager we were influenced by mmore than that such as what music we liked.
I just think that the general image that the media would have us aspire to is 'porn star'

No it doesn't mean they're bimbos scottishmummy. But I find it profoundly depressing that it's the main thing they want people to know about them (look! I'm really sexy! I bet you want to fuck me!).

And I'm not friends with her - my sister is (her mother).

I have put one of the photos on my profile (not sure if it can be seen as I don't normally have one)

OMG spice! How old is she?

I see what you mean! I must say none of my teenage cousins or their friends have photos up like that. Is she an aspiring glamour model?

Bloody hell.

I thought you meant a night out pic/beach photos.

OMG! Read this thread with interest as I not at all unreasonable.

Then clicked on photo.

I'm sorry how can anyone look at that photo and not think it is pornesque?

That's not my niece incidentally, that's her friend. The girl in the photo is a school girl, finishes her A levels this summer.

I only started looking at her friends as my niece is topless in her photo so wondered if that was 'normal' among her girl friends and it seems it is not that unusual (although the majority do have a few more clothes on)

thankfully none of my neices have pics like that.

btw, I'd get that piccie off your profile...

Dear me

honestly,what a bunch of whining harpies so quick to denigrate and throw words like porn star.obvious inference you were all so intellectual and above that stuff.no pole dancing for you no siree but the young uns,hell sling a few names about carelessly

my goodness,have you a recognition that your battles are not necessarily another woman battles.

sisterhod,my arse you lot

you could use your undoubterd experiences or reflections to muse aboyt the very real stress's teens are under today

student debt
hard to get on property market
job worries
recession

you never know who's on an open forum

Ok, so you're all ignoring me
but OMG... seriously this is illegal. You need to say something to her mother spicemonster { I know that's not her btw...}

OK I take my earlier comment back after looking at the photo!!!!

whining harpies? I think you're missing the point quite spectactularly scottishmummy

I had all those worries too - the miners strike was going on when I was her age. And weirdly I didn't feel the need to flash my tits