Talking Points #9

Myspace & Facebook.... Friend or Foe?

Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace"
by Danah Boyd

I'm sure that if you were to try and find a handful of students on the RIC campus who haven't heard of myspace or facebook, it would be nearly impossible. These two 'social domains' have basically engulfed the mass population of teenagers and even adults. Every person I know has either Myspace or Facebook. My MOTHER even made an account on Facebook!! What the hell is going on!?? At first I did what any normal 21yr old would do...FREAK OUT...but then I just laughed it off. I have nothing to hide from my mom, she knows about my pAArtying ways. I know of some people that cannot go a single day without checking their Myspace for new friend requests or comments. It just goes to show how much these social networks have taken over every one's lives.

Facebook started out with the college-aged people, which was what it was intended for...18-24yr olds keeping in contact with one-another. Then they allowed anyone with an email to join...including high schoolers. I couldn't help but do a double take when my 15yr old cousin 'facebooked' me. It was all too weird. The ages of people flocking to Myspace and Facebook are getting younger by the day. "Originally, the site was 18+ and all data was public. Over time, the age limit dropped to 16 and then, later, to 14. The youngest users are given the option to make their profiles visible to friends-only and they do not appear in searches"...as Boyd states in her article. Knowing what goes on in the digital world, makes me question who is actually looking at these 14yr olds' pages...pretty freaky if you ask me.

In her article, Boyd explores Myspace and how it is a haven for teens around the world. "Youth look to older teens and the media to get cues about what to wear, how to act, and what's cool. Most teens are concerned with resolving how they perceive themselves with how they are perceived. To learn this requires trying out different performances, receiving feedback from peers and figuring out how to modify fashion, body posture and language to better give off the intended impression." I totally agree with this statement from Boyd. Teens look to their peers as well as older people for a layout of how they should act.

I'm not going to lie, when I think of high schoolers using Myspace, all I think about is how they are perceiving themselves to look older than they really are. I'm biased only because of what I see in my own life. I look at my little cousins Myspace pages and see all their friends dressing 'slutty' and inappropriately for their age. It's almost like "look what I can do!", "look how I can go against the rules and make people look at me!"... I know my cousins look up to their older classmen and try to imitate their sexual pictures and poses. It just freaks me out and I feel old haha. "Because the teenage years are a liminal period between childhood and adulthood, teens are often waffling between those identities, misbehaving like kids while trying to show their maturity in order to gain rights. Participating in distinctly adult practices is part of exploring growing up. Both adults and the media remind us that vices like sexual interactions, smoking and drinking are meant for adults only, only making them more appealing. More importantly, through age restrictions, our culture signals that being associated with these vices is equal to maturity."

Although I only think of the teen sluts and attention whores (haha), I know that all teenagers don't act this way. Many use Myspace as a place to distance themselves from the struggles of everyday life; to be alone and have some time to themselves. They view Myspace as a safe-haven, just a place to hang out and keep incontact with their friends. I agree with Boyd when she states "Teens have increasingly less access to public space. Classic 1950s hang out locations like the roller rink and burger joint are disappearing while malls and 7/11s are banning teens unaccompanied by parents. Hanging out around the neighborhood or in the woods has been deemed unsafe for fear of predators, drug dealers and abductors. Teens who go home after school while their parents are still working are expected to stay home and teens are mostly allowed to only gather at friends' homes when their parents are present." Myspace gives them a place to feel comfortable and a place to call their own. I do also agree that some teens take advantage of this space, but that's to be expected.