MySpace vs Facebook
September 30, 2009
Did you know that U.S. Teens Prefer MySpace and YouTube to Facebook?
As of June 2009, US teens still prefer MySpace according to a study done by Habbo, a youth-aimed virtual world. The study quizzed 112,000 teens ages 11-19 from more than 30 countries, including 4,500 teens in the U.S. Facebook came in third as the most popular Web site among U.S. teens, up from fifth last year. Globally, however, YouTube and Facebook rank , No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, with MySpace coming in at No. 4, the survey said. So, what are some of the differences in the 2 social sites and why might kids like MySpace more than Facebook.
1-MySpace allows for complete profile customization so kids can express themselves creatively. They can design their profiles using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) so that it represents their image or style in a very unique way. Facebook pages are all the same.
2-MySpace allows you to select a favorite song that plays on your profile. Facebook doesn’t. Music is so much a part of the teen experience that alone makes MySpace attractive.
3-Kids still rule on MySpace. Parents, while they may logon to MySpace to check on the kids, in most cases they aren’t there to socialize. Facebook is a different story. Parents and grandparents of teens are among the many new users establishing an active presence on facebook. Kids want the independence-the separate space- that MySpace still provides.
It is important to note that many kids maintain multiple profiles across multiple sites. Some profiles are more active than others. It is also common for kids to have profiles that are parent approved and others that are unknown to parents.
Action 1: Talk with your children about which sites they like best and why. Remember that kids migrate from site to site and profile to profile. They will spend time where their friends are. New sites are added every day. The information you discover today may change next month.
Action 2: Add a reminder to your calendar talk with your children about this subject again in 3 months.
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