Paper short abstract:

In this paper I explore how young urbanites in Dakar (Senegal) are using and appropriating facebook to create visual narratives of the self and to situate themselves within and through their networks.

Paper long abstract:

For young urbanites in Dakar facebook has become one of the most important reasons to go online and connect to family and friends within and without of Senegal. Uploading photographs and commenting on each other's images is one of the most important means for users to stay connected within the social network site. In this paper I intend to explore how young Senegalese are using and appropriating facebook to create visual narratives of the self and to situate themselves within and through their networks. What are the discourses that are touched upon in these visual narratives? How are these practices continuities of older forms of visualities and what new possibilities are offered through the new "medium" facebook? In demonstrating culturally and socially situated examples of users I intend to focus on new tendencies of media engagements and (mass-) mediated appearances.