ATMI Program

by Kaite Zager

www.myspace.com. Your computer lights up with your friends' faces, and the familiar “New Comments” sign pops out, making each redundant “Ha-ha You rock. Comment me back. Woot” sound as if an Instant Messenger simply isn't good enough. After commenting you're friend back, you check on your profile, just to make sure you're pictures still look as hot as ever, and start surfing. Sound like an incredible waste of time? It is.

However, MySpace.com, and other social networking sites have officially hit the nation. Over 43 million people have signed up for MySpace alone, with thousands more adding profiles by the day. But trend-follower beware, because this site, which combines all of the deadly elements of teen culture, from music, to friends, to shameless advertisement, will reward and frustrate you like nothing has before. Don't believe me? Well, here's my story.

I made my profile in June of 2005, back when most of the people using MySpace were either music nerds, or pseudo-punk kids from California. Certainly, the trend hadn't fully hit Alaska, and my friend count stood at a measly 10. So then, why use MySpace, when no one else was? Because it's potential for finding new music and bands was enormous. And more importantly, I could also contact these bands, a valuable tool for getting interviews for stories and what not.

However, once the school year hit, things went downhill, and downhill fast. As everyone started jumping on the bandwagon, the very thing that makes MySpace so appealing…the community…took a turn for the worse.

I admit it; I had spent most September shamelessly promoting MySpace among my friends. After all, it's no fun being on a social site, if you don't actually know a whole lot of people to be social with. Soon, my friend count was up to 25, still about 200 below the average.

A month later, my friend count jumped to 70, as more teens caught on to the MySpace craze. I was getting friend requests daily, even from people I hadn't seen since middle school. People I barely knew were adding me, just to up that all-important friend count. Suddenly, people weren't satisfied with the 30 or 40 close friends that they…you know….actually talk too. Instead, if you didn't have more friends than everyone else, it was like you some…social reject or something.

Especially with the addition of the site feature…the “Top 8.” This feature allows you to actually choose the eight people that show up as the default friends on your main profile. Which means, you have to choose your eight favorites. Ah playing favorites…ranking the very people you value the most…checking the profiles of the popular people, just to see who they rank as number one…doesn't it sound so…middle school?

And the thing that most people don't realize, and I certainly didn't, is that people don't care nearly as much as you think they do. They're too busy making sure their profiles represent them well. Or at least, who they wish they were.

That's another reason MySpace appeals so much to teens. Is that any unflattering photo, or weird fact about you is simply left off the table. Teens say that MySpace is great way to meet new people, but if you base your relationship off of a MySpace profile, your only getting a superficial glimpse into the life of this person. You don't know what they think about..or feel, you just know that they like the movie fight club, and apparently went to a party last weekend.

In my life, it has become incredibly clear that MySpace is nothing more than a cesspool of superficiality.

By February, MySpace happenings were starting to make it's way into hallway conversation daily. And I just got sick of it. I didn't like being forced to log onto some Web site everyday, when the people I know and really care about are just phone call away. I hated that fact that the original goal of MySpace, connecting people, has disintegrated into one giant popularity contest.

I guess I don't have a problem with the site itself. I just have a problem with the people who have taken over, from under-age middle schools, to creepy middle-aged men. You know what. I'm with those pseudo-punk kids from California, MySpace, is so last year.


	by Kaite Zager Listen to the story! www.myspace.com. Your computer lights up with your friends' faces, and the familiar “New Comments” sign pops out, making each redundant “Ha-ha You rock. Comment me back. Woot” sound as if an Instant Messenger simply isn't good enough. After commenting you're friend back, you check on your profile, just to make sure you're pictures still look as hot as ever, and start surfing. Sound like an incredible waste of time? It is. However, MySpace.com, and other social networking sites have officially hit the nation. Over 43 million people have signed up for MySpace alone, with thousands more adding profiles by the day. But trend-follower beware, because this site, which combines all of the deadly elements of teen culture, from music, to friends, to shameless advertisement, will reward and frustrate you like nothing has before. Don't believe me? Well, here's my story. I made my profile in June of 2005, back when most of the people using MySpace were either music nerds, or pseudo-punk kids from California. Certainly, the trend hadn't fully hit Alaska, and my friend count stood at a measly 10. So then, why use MySpace, when no one else was? Because it's potential for finding new music and bands was enormous. And more importantly, I could also contact these bands, a valuable tool for getting interviews for stories and what not. However, once the school year hit, things went downhill, and downhill fast. As everyone started jumping on the bandwagon, the very thing that makes MySpace so appealing…the community…took a turn for the worse. I admit it; I had spent most September shamelessly promoting MySpace among my friends. After all, it's no fun being on a social site, if you don't actually know a whole lot of people to be social with. Soon, my friend count was up to 25, still about 200 below the average. A month later, my friend count jumped to 70, as more teens caught on to the MySpace craze. I was getting friend requests daily, even from people I hadn't seen since middle school. People I barely knew were adding me, just to up that all-important friend count. Suddenly, people weren't satisfied with the 30 or 40 close friends that they…you know….actually talk too. Instead, if you didn't have more friends than everyone else, it was like you some…social reject or something. Especially with the addition of the site feature…the “Top 8.” This feature allows you to actually choose the eight people that show up as the default friends on your main profile. Which means, you have to choose your eight favorites. Ah playing favorites…ranking the very people you value the most…checking the profiles of the popular people, just to see who they rank as number one…doesn't it sound so…middle school? And the thing that most people don't realize, and I certainly didn't, is that people don't care nearly as much as you think they do. They're too busy making sure their profiles represent them well. Or at least, who they wish they were. That's another reason MySpace appeals so much to teens. Is that any unflattering photo, or weird fact about you is simply left off the table. Teens say that MySpace is great way to meet new people, but if you base your relationship off of a MySpace profile, your only getting a superficial glimpse into the life of this person. You don't know what they think about..or feel, you just know that they like the movie fight club, and apparently went to a party last weekend. In my life, it has become incredibly clear that MySpace is nothing more than a cesspool of superficiality. By February, MySpace happenings were starting to make it's way into hallway conversation daily. And I just got sick of it. I didn't like being forced to log onto some Web site everyday, when the people I know and really care about are just phone call away. I hated that fact that the original goal of MySpace, connecting people, has disintegrated into one giant popularity contest. I guess I don't have a problem with the site itself. I just have a problem with the people who have taken over, from under-age middle schools, to creepy middle-aged men. You know what. I'm with those pseudo-punk kids from California, MySpace, is so last year. Myspace.com; A waste of time?

Myspace.com; A waste of time?