Myspace and Facebook apart of social lives
 

Couldn't think of a decent title but whatever. So, i'm not sure if this has been covered or if you guys have experienced this; but have you ever heard people talking about these community websites in everyday conversation? For example, on the bus I was listening to some people saying "Yeah and she told me she hated Monica but on Monica's Myspace she was commenting her being such a kissass" or "Omg have you seen that picture on Facebook? What a ho". Other than that, i've also heard people who've gone through break ups saying "And then he listed himself as single, deleted all our pictures and removed me from his top friends" and got all distraught about it. Another thing i've heard is people bitching about the order people have their top friends in on Myspace.

I don't know why, but I just find it really interesting how much these sites have taken such an effect on people for them to mention them frequently or even get pissy because such and such is above them in someones top friends.

Know someone or ever heard someone who takes Myspace pages and Facebook profiles a little too seriously?

If they're a big enough or important enough aspect of their lives, I don't see how it's taken "too seriously". Isn't it akin to citing phone calls or text messages in conversations?

Though I would say that caring about something so trivial as a top friends order is pretty lame.

I hear it used often, though I spend quite some time at a college, so go figure.

I think the difference between citing phone calls and MySpace comments is that MySpace is both a social networking / communication tool AND a piece of pop culture. It's funny because MySpace is a commercial site, and many probably see it as such before they see it as a means of communication.

Believe me, though, I've heard plenty of people making a fuss over not being in someone else's Top Friends, etc.

agree with roph. i hear it used often, and even do so myself.

networking and gossip have always been common practices, putting it online only provides a new medium by which to learn/share it. however, i will admit
that some of the information people are willing to share on their pages is surprising.

Attention-deprived, I suppose. Kinda like High school all over again.

I talk about it in my own life because it really does act as a great tool to communicate with those who are out of range.

I can call and leave voice messages, but I always like to harass people on their myspace or facebook. And it's a lot easier to get pics and files to people that way too.

Catching up with old friends has never been easier, really. =D

As for drama and shit, I don't really know too many people who give a shit about high school drama, so I am left unphased.

At least in my circle, Facebook is this giant dominating force that is second only to our actual physical interaction with each other every day. If somebody says something, takes a picture (especially an incriminating picture) or takes a movie, at least two people go "FACEBOOK IT!" immediately following the event. And the reverse is true also: people share things found on the internet (esp. viral vids) and share them via Facebook, and less than 24 hours later it's being quoted and/or sung all over the music building. Maybe it's a musician thing :confused:.

MySpace is not even half as popular, probably because Facebook used to be college-only, so the people I'm around most often started using that first when they were freshmen (now all are about juniors-seniors). I always used to keep my MySpace-Facebook lives separate, because my MySpace people were all the ones not in college back home who couldn't have a Facebook account. There's a bit of drama with the Top Friends thing, though. One of my friends got into a huge not-talking argument and her boyfriend took her off of his Top 8 :rolleyes:.

And yeah, it reminds me a bit of high school. Oh well.
It's also a good way to keep up with old friends, as Sass said.

The total integration of technology in our daily lives seems to be an unavoidable consequence of it's invention, so I'm not surprised to hear people talk about it all the bloody time. Doesn't mean I necessarily like it very much, though. Social sites introduce the opportunity to share videos, songs, or whatever you want, and they make it easier to keep up on the music scene. If people used it strictly as a tool, it would be A-OK in my books. I use Facebook to find out about local shows, and I use Myspace to hear the bands before I spend money to see them.

However, since I think a lot social games are an appalling waste of energy, I really hate seeing yet another avenue for pointless human drama. Top friends? WTF? Fuck this ranking bullshit. I have close friends who know exactly who they are. There's no ladder, you just know me or you don't. It's not hard to know which category you fall into. I never played into that popularity contest bullshit back in high school and I still don't.

Additional Spam

It might be an artist thing. Myself and my friends are artists, writers, musicians, and/or actors, and we all do it. I like the web integration a lot. We chat about things we saw on Wikipedia, YouTube, our favorite webcomics, even 4chan. I like having nerd friends. ^_^

Most of my friends don't typically take facebook too seriously since we tend to communicate away from the internet on a regular basis. We're also usually too busy to keep up with facebook because of school or work, but sometimes there's a weekend or two during summer vacations where I notice that they camp facebook just for fun. I also don't recall my circle of friends saying things like "Facebook that" or anything similar.

But I do remember shopping at a grocery store once and hearing some teenage girl talking about how she got into a fight with a friend through Myspace. It was disturbing to hear how serious the girl had taken things though.

Facebook has taken my group of friends by storm. It has become an awesome way to stay in touch. We use it to plan events, share pictures and various other uses. The applications are annoying and fun at the same time. The graffiti thing is great. Although I had to scold one friend. He phoned me up one day to tell me that he'd posted a message on my facebook and that I had to go check it. I was like "why? Just tell me now" and he was like "no cuz lame lol"

Whether it is good or bad, I think it is a reality at this point that online is becoming THE social lives of some people now. It is so easy to make friends without getting up and leaving your house these days. I think a lot of people's entire social lives exist online, if not all, then a very large portion.

Well, the overwhelming majority of people I have on Facebook are people that I have personally met at some time or another. However, it's true that it allows you to keep in touch with people who, under normal circumstances, you might have completely lost touch with (and therefore allow you to have an entire "social life" lived virtually). But I used to [try and] do that via 'penpals' in the days before computers, with people I would meet on a camping trip or summer thing. Facebook just makes it easier. :)

It also changes the dynamic of some of my IRL friendships; some of my friends I actually prefer to chat/message with instead of phone-talking.

Not just facebook and myspace though, but I'm talking about message boards, such as this also. The more mediums that are available to become social through online, the easier and easier it becomes. Forums, blogs, networking sites, chat rooms, instant messengers.

I have no problem with Myspace and Facebook, I have a little slot on both sites and I do think they're a good way of keeping in contact with people and general craziness - my only bother is when they become apart of this highschool drama.

I agree with them being the new medium for communication and that's where all the drama can generate from, it's just really taken off in the last year or so where i'm from. Facebook is only really starting to take off here too.

Other than the "Top Friends" ridiculousness, I love networking sites. As it's been said, staying connected with friends has never been easier. I don't know if I can pass a moral judgment on using Myspace and Facebook, but I know that it's a part of our social lives now - ALL of us, from high school up.

Facebook is okay. I liked it when it was a closed deal (college folks only, not even high schoolers), but now it's whoring out just like Myspace. I haven't logged in for about going on two weeks now; that is how little I care about it. Some folks make a HUUUUGE deal about it. I clean up my friends-list about once or twice a year and dump 20 some-odd folks that I only talked to, like, one time. And I got accosted for it in the past "WHY DID YOU REMOVE ME FROM YOUR FRIENDS LIST" "Uhm. I really don't *know* you. Plus we never talk. This is the first time we've spoken in over half a year." Then all of the sudden I'm an asshole =o

Also, I can't help but laugh at the insecure social butterflies who have 600 some-odd "friends". They're probably the types that read too much in to it. Plus, I knew one dude who was gathering up the courage to ask a girl out because she was listed as "Single" on facebook. Got shot down because she was seeing someone and he went about grumbling about her being a whore and a liar. I mean really, folks...

It's actually quite annoying that each instance I've been in earshot of a group of high school girls, or even high school kids in general, there's always been some drama over Facebook. It used to be Myspace, and to a much lesser extent, but if I'm on a bus or hearing people walk by, it'll always be something to the effect of "Oh my God, he blocked me on facebook and I'm really upset because I can't write on his wall anymore" (seriously) or "So I thought she was my friend, but apparently I'm not good enough be on her top friends list", etc. These children take it far too seriously and it appears to be vital to their social cliques and lives. I think facebook has reached verb status at this rate. I also admit I'm guilty of asking people to "facebook" pictures towards the end of any outings I go on.

I'm going to be perfectly honest. Okay, I am a mite too sensitive but the fact that my boyfriend of almost two years still lists himself as single on his myspace bothers me. I think it's cause he knows so many gorgeous women.

Other than that, I use the fact that myspace has become the playground of the internet generation to my advantage. I don't take it so seriously with my own page.

I've never had either and I never will.

I value my status as an online J.D. Salinger, thank you very much.

I also liked it when it was exclusive, like you must have a college email address or such. It's not something like myspace, reeking with stalkers and what not. I just put my privacy settings on an all time high.

Other than that, I like it as a way to keep up (or not) with people.

As for people talking about it, it's alright... I like to say things like, you have that picture of me in your album?! Then I untag myself. =\ Nothing too serious. Oh, and I love the relationship status area.