Social Web sites not looked at in fair light

April 16, 2007 —

Why is it that in our society, things are blamed rather than people?

After a massive spike in popularity over the past couple of years, social networking Web sites such as Myspace and Facebook have become household names.

For a time, it seemed as though every college student had their own profile on one or both of these communities. As of late, though, I've heard a great deal of negative statements slung their way.

For example, in a class I'm currently taking which studies recent forms of media as they relate to our society, I've been witness to comments leveled at Myspace in particular. The negative ones generally accused the site of being less than classy, in poor taste, or a place where people flaunt themselves in ways that they shouldn't.

What exactly is it that causes people to respond like this? I think it's painfully obvious that a Web site like Myspace does nothing on its own. In fact, that's the point.

Part of the philosophy behind social networking communities of this sort is that they are shaped entirely by members. Myspace doesn't make people max out the contrast in all the pictures they upload of themselves, they make that decision.

As for a Web site not being classy, show me a place where I can tip back my virtual Perrier while reading my virtual Milton and I'll think about it. Only when attacking something new and not yet fully ingrained into a culture could a person get away with such a senseless attack.

Wouldn't it make more sense to address the low quality or low value of television networks or radio stations, which actually supply us with media, than to attack a concept which is user-sustained?

My point is, Myspace and Facebook don't do anything other than supply users with basic tools to shape their personal Web sites.

That said, the only thing which can be reasonably upsetting is what users choose to do with these tools.

I have a profile on both Myspace and Facebook. Mainly, I use these services to keep in touch with people on a higher level than I would be able to otherwise. Does this make me a fool, bending to some kind of "low class" machine?

There's nothing inherently wrong with these Web sites. If we find the information on these pages to be in poor taste or of minimal value, it would be much wiser to reflect on what this says about our culture rather than what it says about an isolated Internet concept.