After reading "Implications of User Choice: The Cultural Logic of “MySpace
or Facebook?” by Danah Boyd I didn't really think his claims about
the "ghettoization" of Myspace and the “classier” Facebook really did
exist. When I used to have a Myspace of course things were different but I also
believe that people may have the assumption that it was a “ghettoization” because
many of the users were barely becoming teenagers, while Facebook was barely
getting started. Just like stated in the article, “The desirability of the site
spread from people who were heading to college” this is what made Facebook in
the beginning a different look to it. However, when I did switch to Facebook,
it had a different style to it than Myspace. Also, I felt that on Myspace you
had more chances in making your profile more “you” with being able to create
your top friends, having music and a background.
The reason
why I did switch to a Facebook is simple, I was getting tired of kids getting a
Myspace younger and younger, and I thought Facebook was going to be different,
but that’s not the case because kids are starting to go into Facebook due to
other friends and siblings. I only have certain information on my Facebook
because I feel like privacy is a big thing; I don’t need everyone knowing where
I live and my every move. Also, I have plenty of photos of my family because I
do have family as friends on Facebook that live far away, so it’s a great way
to be able to communicate with one another. Though this may have been a big
move, going from Myspace to Facebook, I believe that the moves of social
networks are going to start coming about and as they do, so are the people. First
they may start by trying it out but there will most likely be another situation
in which people try to find the difference between a “Myspace” and “Facebook.” Not
to mention that as soon as one of our friends find a new social network, time
will only tell of how fast everyone will rush to be in it.
Very interesting perspective about the age of users versus their socioeconomic class. I do remember how easy it was to customize the page. Do you think that all the silly customizations (glitter backgrounds, songs, different fonts) became a turn-off to some users who preferred the cleaner look of Facebook?
ReplyDeleteAlso, think abut Boyd's notion that Facebook was once exclusive to Harvard before branching out to other Ivy League schools and then the public. Remember that to be exclusive means to exclude others. To me, this sounds like the forbidden fruit argument, wanting what you cannot have. No one can say for sure if there was a "White Flight" from one network to another, but the reason why this theory exists is due to the undeniable fact that mostly whites attend Ivy League colleges. In a sense, they were the ones starting the conversion, and everyone followed.