Thing 15 Learning about Myspace

This week's Learning 2.0 focus is on myspace. It's amazing how much the focus is on reading about myspace. So, the articles we read about are supposed to help us answer this week's questions---What do you think about the library system using myspace to connect with teens? What is myspace really about? Details at this link:

http://vbpl2point0.blogspot.com/2007/12/thing-15-get-411-on-social-networking.html

Personally, I find this way of handling "learning" about myspace as disappointing as the wiki one last week. It's very passive, just read articles. It's good to learn about the issues, but maybe you should just jump in and see for yourself---maybe even give a couple of exercises to do to give some kind of structure to the learning process. Of course, if you're really motivated and interested, you'd have an account already or do it yourself, but, if this is part of a learning objective, then make it a 2.0 version instead of the "passive" 1.0 way.

Now, to answering the questions. The library using myspace to connect with teens? Sure, why not? It's just another way to connect. The articles tend to be quite positive. Teens do have a serious bone in them and do use the internet and even myspace to discuss homework. Teens can be open about their library having myspace and will even respect the library reaching out to them. The library will be connecting with teens and get honest feedback not usually heard in more traditional settings and spaces. Bullying and predators are prevalent in any medium and is probably overestimated by ignorant worried adults. That's what I'm reading in the articles. I'm curious about libraries with myspace profiles and if they have to worry about staff being inappropriate (just because it's a myspace profile doesn't mean you can say anything you want, especially not the way you would with friends). Are there problems with bullying? Are there teens who are not impressed with libraries reaching out to teens and mock it?

What is myspace really about? It can be kind of boring, actually. It's an upgraded version of email. You send messages to each other, mainly. Unless you have blogs and pictures to post, people have no reason to go to your page. Unless it's to send a hi or what are you doing/what am I doing. From what I'm reading, for teens that may be enough. It's all about communication, be it random comments and messages, especially on "trivial" stuff that is part of identity formation (fashion, media, trends, etc). I even see it in my younger siblings. It's about status, too. You collect numbers of fans, increase page views, increase numbers of comments, have top friends. Like page view count, it's cool to know people are looking at your page, but it's a bummer when you know no one has stopped by. I could do without it, so it's about the page rather than the counts (which is one of the things I like about Facebook). With myspace mainly having things to look at (be it pictures, messages, comments), it can be rather passive. I do like using social networking sites just because it's another way to communicate. Only online can you use an emoticon :)