Magazines are sooo 2005...

I had to flag this article on NYtimes today: "Doll Web Sites Drive Girls to Stay Home and Play". It's everything I've studied all rolled into one: pop culture, social networking, and how it effects women in our society.
First, my final seminar paper at Smith was analyzing Seventeen Magazine, it's content and how that persuades and challenges the images tweens and teens have of themselves. It look a lot at advertising content, the models used and how often girls turned to this medium, etc.
So this is what is so interesting about this article: I wrote that paper not long ago...in 2005, and these types of social networking sites weren't really on the radar (I'd have to check my sources, but magazines were the #1 medium that reached out to girls..social networking sites weren't yet listed).
Maybe it's time for a new paper..i'll have to go and poke around on the site. I'm just so interested on how this effects girls: most are free (to start) to pick out clothes and such, which really breaks down economic barriers while girls are interacting online. Yet, at the same time, consumerism is perpetuated by the actions of these sites: consuming, buying and consuming more. I am sure there is little to go beyond dressing and changing the looks of the virtual dolls..forever enforcing the objectification of women and their rolls in our society.
As I said, i need to go look before I really start preaching. I think I'm missing my debates at Smith since I'm getting all riled up about this... :)