How Facebook Defeated MySpace.
For anyone who grew up during MySpace's height of popularity, their decline has been a sad one. Many of us have moved on to use Facebook, and rarely check our MySpace pages, yet we cannot let them go. I often hear people say, "MySpace is dead," but then why is it that those same people won't delete their accounts? I know I haven't deleted mine.
For me, MySpace is like a photo album and a diary combined. It does a better job than my yearbook, of highlighting my High School memories. On my MySpace I can read old comments from friends, some who have moved away, and some I am still very close to. MySpace also fossilizes my past relationship. Now to some that might be painful, but I enjoy being able to look back fondly on the good times. I also wrote blogs on my MySpace, which I can now look back on like diary entries. They remind me of fun times I had with great friends, and on the tough times I made it through. Facebook may be more functional, but it is also colder and less personal.
Facebook may not be the big hug that MySpace was, but it has emerged as the victor of the Social Networking War. Why has that cold and calculated site prevailed? For two reasons, functionality and marketing. Facebook is definitely geared towards an older audience. I was shocked, and a little disturbed, when I started seeing my friend's parents on Facebook. Gladly my parents aren't into that kind of thing. Nonetheless, Facebook gives adults a way to stay in touch with old friends, without the dating site feel of MySpace.
Facebook provides functionality in a different way. MySpace gives users the ability to personalize their page. They can change colors, backgrounds, post blogs, and play music. I have often heard friends complain about the lack of these features on Facebook. They have the technology; they're constantly making changes, so why not incorporate these features? These changes would most likely change the sites purpose, image and intent, and Facebook isn't ready to go there yet.
What Facebook provides that MySpace doesn't provide is basically a better way to spy. Depending on your situation, these features can be a blessing or a burden. Facebook notifies you every time a friend posts a picture, leaves a comment, or gets tagged in a photo. It basically makes it hard for you to be a player. Settings can be changed on Facebook to accommodate your privacy needs; however, there are often times where dirty deeds still make it through the cracks.
I don't really know why Facebook defeated MySpace. I simply followed my friends as they made the switch. I would have to attribute the switch to growing up. As my high school friends grew up and went off to college, they joined Facebook to meet new friends at their new schools. They began to network through the site and then officially made the switch as their old friends did as well. There may come a time where the Facebook craze dies down, but as of now they're Social Networking King.
This content was created by AI
