... 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.

This is why I wouldnt have my parents or aunts and uncles on my facebook. They don't need to know everything thats going on in my life and i'm sure they would find some of it distressing, because even though they sometimes did worse when they were young. They dont want to see me doing similar.

Isn't this the whole point of FB? To post up zany pictures of your wonderful and debauched teen lifestyle, showing to the world how popular and shaggable you are? Isn't it just a total celebration of teenage hormones at their finest??

Try it when its your sister (who is 20 and at Uni) putting her phone number and where she is every night and has pictures o her snogging other girls and dancing about in her underwear!

Yes I have spoken to her so has my other sister all to no avail.

NOt read the thread fully so apologise if just repeating what others have said but: I find it really sad that young women value themselves in terms of their appearance/ sex appeal. Times have changed. I am in my early 30s and things were definitely different in my teens. I certainly indulged in my fair share of hedonistic/ rebellious behaviour ah the days...but I was a staunch feminist and I lived for my brain not my body. I am probably more body/ self aware now but I put that down to the constant deluge of sexual imagery offered up by the media daily.

To the OP: don't be depressed, I would take niece in hand and make sure she knows how to valus herself in other ways too.