Social Networking & The Virtual Revolution

When watching “The Virtual Revolution” I did not really learn too much that I already didn’t know or suspect, but I did learn that “Our thoughts and desires expressed on the web are traced, tracked and traded in pursuit of profit,” which is pretty scary to think about. I agree with the assumption, which by now is pretty much factual, that our society has become completely dependant on “screen” (pretty much anything anyone can see or do on a TV or computer screen). I also think its cool that there is a debate whether the invention of the web is more important to that of the creation of the printing press. What is a concern from all of this is the question of whether or not the dependency of “screens” could actually harm children due to the webs possible distortion of these children’s’ sense of reality. Do we want our children growing up only knowing life online? Should we care? I think its something that should be changed, but never will, for it’s impossible to try and put a limit on it when it’s only growing larger and more powerful.

Myspace.com is a website that enables users to communicate with friends, families, and even strangers through messaging, picture commenting, and even video. This social networking site also allows users to post their current moods and feeling, as well as blogging about anything on one’s mind. Not only does the site allow you to keep up with friends and family, but it also let’s users keep track of what their favorite celebrities are currently up to.
Myspace was founded in 2003, but did not become a dominant networking website until 2006, when it stood out as the most popular. The reign of dominance for Myspace ended two years later, when major rival, Facebook, overtook the site as the most popular social networking site on the web. The purpose of Myspace was not just to keep up with current friends, but also to meet and make new ones on the site.
Honestly, I am strictly team Facebook now, but from 7th to 9th grade, I was all about Myspace. It was all my friends and I did, in fact, we pretty much lived on that site, but all good things come to an end, and I quickly switched to the trendy Facebook. Looking back on it, Myspace was pretty damn cool, but lost its flavor, partly because of Facebook’s emergence, and also because it got a little ridiculous with all of the things profiles could have on them. I didn’t really have a pimped out profile, but I did have “Pimpin all over the world” by Ludacris as my song and a picture of Will Ferrell from “Old School” holding a blowup doll in tiles as my background. Other than that, sadly, I didn’t really have a “pimped out” page, even though I wish I did.
What I learned from touring the site was that I feel as though Myspace has pretty much given up on the social networking side of the site, and has focused a lot more of it’s advertising on the music aspect of the site.