I thought this article was interesting because it not only discussed why young adults use Facebook and MySpace, but it broke it down into why young adults used the internet. As the article discussed, our generation depends heavily on the internet for information and entertainment.
The article talked about how it's used "...to experience selective, efficient, and immediate connection with other for their (mediated) interpersonal communication satisfaction ans as an on going way to seek the approval and support of other people". I learned that social networking sites (SNS) such as these ones attracted millions of users allowing them to 'play an active role in the socialization process and in constructing their own identity'. What was interesting was that these users are seen as a new generation of individuals whose identities are almost entirely defined by their connection and the content they put online. SNS are popular because they're user friendly in turn making it easy to communicate with friends, family and others. I also learned that for the most part profiles and accounts are created not to meet new people but to keep in contact with old friends, those are are already part of thie existing social networks.
It was interesting to learn about MySpace and Facebook's beginnings. While MySpace began in 2003 and spread by word of mouth, Facebook started in 2004 and was only accessible to Harvard students, then college students, then high school and then finally opened access to everyone after 2005. I can't remember exactly what year I got my MySpace in but I do remember hearing about it through a close friend who begged me to get it. I remember the way she described it to me made me feel slightly weary: You just look at people's profiles, ask them to be your friend in a message and if they like you they send you a request to be your friend. I remember those EXACT words and probably won't ever forget them. Hahaha. I also remember MySpace being a place where my friends and I would add cute boys for innocent flirting before we realized our actual friends had accounts as well.
The two forms of gratification discussed were also new to me: process (creating content on one's profile) and content (acquiring information). It was funny to me to see that the majority of people surveyed said they used SNS to acquire information about new people they meet. I totally relate to this because if I meet someone I'm interested in as a friend (or before I met my boyfriend, as an 'interest' haha) I totally look them up to learn a little more about them. Funny thing is, it's kind of how my boyfriend and I got together. When I met him, I was dating a total sleaze bag and wasn't really interested. But a few months later I half heartidly sent Erik (my boyfriend) a message when he popped up in my 'People You May Know' and mentioned we had met. Message after message, phone conversation after phone conversation he asked me out and now we're living happily ever after. So yay! Facebook love story....Hahaha...pretty gross...
The last thing I learned was that the term "scene" emerged from MySpace. While I know what the 'typical' scene kid looks like, side bangs straightened and plastered to their face, unisex eyeliner, 'angle' photos, I was completely unaware that the trend emerged from MySpace. It's interesting to see how an entire subculture came from this form of mass media. Then again there are so many other subcultures that also seemed to have emerged, online gamers, 'furries', 1337 (leet) speak...fifty year old creeper man clubs...haha. Interestingly...these all have a semi negative connotation to them...hmmm, food for thought I guess.
Have an awesome weekend!
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