Facebook profiles reveal young women's obsession to post pictures of body parts

Journalist Mariyam Jaber said she found several social websites where just the body parts of what appears to be Saudi women are displayed, such as feet, just the body or even fingernails, but without betraying her identity.

“This reveals a woman’s desire to liberate herself from social restrictions and express herself, and Facebook or other networking sites are the easiest platforms to achieve this,” she said.

The number of Saudis on Facebook is estimated at 2.3 million out of the 5 million in the Gulf. According to figures, 29 percent of Saudi Internet users visit Facebook and women under 25 account for 48 percent of all Internet users in the Kingdom.

“Most women on social networking sites use fake names. By displaying parts of their body and sometimes in glittering colors, young women must be achieving some sort of gratification or release of their emotions while anonymity guarantees them immunity from social censure or parental displeasure,” said Amal Al-Saleh, a university graduate.  She added that many women prefer to present images resembling singers.

They display a passion for posting photos accompanied by minute details of their personal life on Facebook.

Most husbands and relatives have expressed on some television shows their displeasure at this practice of young women.

In television productions by Kazi Al-Gharam, many husbands used to air their protest at women’s attempt to divulge secrets of their family life, she said.

“Young men and women are now hostages to BlackBerrys or other mobile communication devices that can register all details of their private and public life without the least idea of the danger some of these records might pose to them,” another university graduate, Reem Al-Amri, said.

Professor of Electronics Abdullah Al-Waleedi said: “The young generation has no idea of the line between what one can share and cannot share with others. Young people should be made aware and protected from the undesirable social consequences resulting from innocently sharing details of their personal life on electronic devices,” he said.

He added that social networking platforms should be used only to exchange ideas and information or sharing information about hobbies and never for sharing personal secrets with strangers.

Professor of Social Sciences at Umm Al-Qura University Mahmoud Al-Kesnawi said schools and universities should train young men and women to take advantage of the modern telecommunication revolution in a positive way.

He warned the spare time a young woman has at her disposal because of spinsterhood or unemployment is a factor that prompts her to seek refuge in computers and mobile phones.

He called on the authorities to take effective steps to find more employment opportunities for women within the perimeters of Islamic teachings so that they do not fall prey to the dangers of excessively using the Internet. He also recommended the entry of women workers in the industrial sector.