Myspace A Fad?

You say that a new group files in right behind the previous group when using these social networking sites. Do you believe it has to do with what appeals to the certain age demographic? Or does it have more to do with users growing weary and looking for something new?

I believe that the burnout which Myspace and other social networking site users experience is a result of the fickle nature of teens, who are the predominant users of these sites (Rexrode, 2006). According to Yuki Noguchi of the Washington Post, as teenage Myspace users mature and graduate, they tend to look for something that is new (Noguchi, 2006). While the social life of teens on the internet is powerful it is “hard for corporate America to make lasting investments in whatever's hot now.” (2006) The use of Myspace shows trends of rising and falling according to Noguchi, this illustrates the exit of one group and the entrance of another (2006). Noguchi also cites reasons for people’s burn out on sites such as Myspace which include “…creepy people proposition[ing] them, teachers and parents monitor[ing] them, and new, more alluring free services com[ing] along.

I believe that Myspace will continue to reinvent itself and provide what each generation is looking for. It is difficult to please up and coming generations but so far Myspace has hit the nail on the head and created a generation of social networkers who yearn to remain close as they mature and their lives change.

References

Noguchi, Y. (2006 October 29) In Teens' Web World, MySpace Is So Last Year; Social Sites Find Fickle Audience. The Washington Post, p. 1A. [Online]. Available: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.

Rexrode, C. (2006 August 6) A Place For Business, Too. St. Petersburg Times, p. 1D. [Online]. Available: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.