Facebook vs. Myspace is an interesting debate. It makes more sense after our readings and discussions about how the good kids play on Facebook and the bad kids stay on Myspace. I found it really interesting to see how the origins and the way that Facebook was introduced to the public had such a big influence on who uses it and the way it is viewed today.
The idea that Facebook is safer seems like a well formed opinion. For my paper I asked people what they preferred and everyone that had used both accounts felt that Facebook was better and “safer.” Myspace has a negative stigma for being the online playground of sexual predators and the idea is that Facebook protects people from them. I’m not sure that Facebook really is safer. A sexual predator can join the “I love Beer” club or the “UofL class of 08″ club and become buddies with their next victim just as easily as they can look someone up on Myspace. I think Facebook does offer a few extra features, and they might make it just a little bit less predator friendly but I certainly don’t believe that they make it predator free.
The Facebook vs. Myspace argument is an interesting debate though. In my case, I never had a Myspace account. I received the “so and so has invited you join Myspace” emails from a lot of my friends but I just never bothered to do. I had jumped on the MSN bandwagon and hopped off when it rolled to a stop and Myspace just seemed like the next passing wagon. I just didn’t feel like doing anymore jumping. And besides, if I really wanted to, I could check out my friends pages without having to create my own. WHen Facebook appeared on the social scene, it was like a reinforcement of the idea that I really actually did need to be a part of one of these types of sites. It was like being asked for the second time. So I said yes again. It wasn’t that I thought Myspace was bad and Facebook was better, I was just ready to get back in the game. It helped though, that so many more of my friends were using it this time. Almost everyone had a Facebook account and activities were being organized via Facebook.
Now that I look at the two i can see some pretty apparent differences. It is hard for me to really say though which I think is better because I never used Myspace. Some of my friends that are really into garage bands and a couple that play in bands themselves say the same thing that Paul said, they really like the connections to bands the Myspace offers. Myspace has lots of interchangeable features and people change their backgrounds and add music and personalize their pages. Facebook though allows people to choose who they let into their circle of friends and allows access to their page to. People love the sense of security that feature gives them.
Facebook suits my needs, but I’m getting a little bored again. I’m just about ready to hop off the wagon…we’ll see what the next wagon is carrying. Maybe I’ll walk for a while.
