Facebook 'sparked white flight from MySpace'

chin_grin

http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25723022-5014239,00.html

A "WHITE flight" to Facebook has turned MySpace into a black ghetto, according to a social analyst in the US.

Danah Boyd said Facebook's arrival sparked a migration from MySpace of white users, the educated and the wealthy, while non-whites had stuck together on MySpace.

MySpace is owned by News Corp, the parent company of the publisher of NEWS.com.au.

"It wasn't just anyone who left MySpace to go to Facebook," Ms Boyd, who works with Microsoft Research New England, told a crowd at New York's Democracy Forum.

"We might as well face an uncomfortable reality ... what happened was modern day 'white flight'."

Ms Boyd said MySpace had become a digital "ghetto".

"The people there are more likely to be brown or black and to have a set of values that terrifies white society," she said.

Her interviews with American teenagers since 2006 showed that online migration mimicked the patterns of class groups' movements across cities.

She found teens who preferred Facebook were far more likely to talk down to those who use MySpace than vice versa.

Ms Boyd said her research showed high school students found Facebook "more cultured" and "less cheesy" than MySpace.

"Any high school student who has a Facebook page will tell you MySpace users are more likely to be barely educated and obnoxious," she said.

Ms Boyd also warned that the class divisions on social sites will harden over time.

"Their decision to (move to Facebook) was wrapped up in their connections to others, in their belief that a more peaceful, quiet, less-public space would be more idyllic."

I don't use Facebook coz it gives me a headache after two minutes of staring at a white and blue page (eh...unlike boards...which is....nice to look at...heh.) And MySpace is great for checking out bands.

toiletduck

So that'd make Bebo the Trailer Park then?

Wazdakka

Ah ok,
Thats why Myspace crime is so high and the property value is next to nothing..

WindSock

chin_grin wrote: »

I don't use Facebook coz it gives me a headache

Yeah well a person in possession of a lower IQ would say that. :pac:

CreepingDeath

Time for Facebook to start offer a free basketball for each sign-up to entice the blacks.

Lockstep

There's already enough minority enticements on Facebook;

See
or here

K4t

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Time for Facebook to start offer a free basketball for each sign-up to entice the blacks.

Who cares though? Social networking is a laod of ****e. It's not real life. Will social analysts stop fckn analysing it and do some worthwhile research ffs.

bleg

maybe instead of offering English(Pirate) they should offer English(Ghetto)?

Lockstep

bleg wrote: »

maybe instead of offering English(Pirate) they should offer English(Ghetto)?

It was tried before;
but they just used Piratebay and so no profit was made

Agamemnon

Something similar happened in Ireland when many people left Bebo for Facebook, after Bebo became overrun with Decker McGowens and Ricky Dunnes.

thelordofcheese

pity White flight is a load of shit anyway.

stevedublin

thelordofcheese wrote: »

pity White flight is a load of shite anyway.

....to make it rhyme

thelordofcheese

stevedublin wrote: »

....to make it rhyme

stevedublin for poet laureate!

chin_grin

WindSock wrote: »

Yeah well a person in possession of a lower IQ would say that. :pac:

Feel better now that's off yer t!ts? :pac:

DoireNod

I think it's crazy that people actually 'study' these phenomena. Some of the language used comes across as hyperbolic at times:

Originally Posted by Danah Boyd
"Their decision to (move to Facebook) was wrapped up in their connections to others, in their belief that a more peaceful, quiet, less-public space would be more idyllic."

What kind of verbal tripe is that?

biko

I like facebook, no txtspk and no crap DIY backgrounds or flashing sh*te gif everywhere. Very suburbia.

mike65

I wonder is boards getting more gangsta?

banquo

mike65 wrote: »

I wonder is boards getting more gangsta?

Just not possible. Gansta saturation been at the max since I joined.

Boom_Bap

Myspace is just a popularity contest and is full of women who need assurances that they are 'hot' by posting bulletins on average every 33.2 seconds directing them to thier new pics and saying how incredible they are. Listen here Candice, i dont care that you are doing a photoshoot in an igloo, and i dont care how they got the igloo to LA, and no, you are a munter.

Robbo

Facebook was more reassuringly middle class until they dropped the 3rd level requirement.

It will have to do until someone starts the social networking equivalent of the Drones Club...

Greenmachine

Started out on myspace add random weirdo who sent request and realised how pointless it all was. Bebo was the next temptation which I duly ignored. Then all my Fam was talking about Facebook, so I joined there a few of my friends on there too but hard convincing a few of them to leave Bebo. There loss.

jumpguy

Why can't people just be on MySpace...and...wait for it...Facebook! Heck, you might even be on Bebo too!!! Fresh thinking, I know.

Karl Hungus

"White flight" on the internet? How terrible sensationalist.

Venom

jumpguy wrote: »

Why can't people just be on MySpace...and...wait for it...Facebook! Heck, you might even be on Bebo too!!! Fresh thinking, I know.

Now see here you, we dont like that well thought out and sensible kinda talk in After Hours.

galwayrush

I is on Myspace.

Overheal

Karl Hungus wrote: »

"White flight" on the internet? How terrible sensationalist.

just because its the internet that doesnt make it cool for you to flash off your smelly poo poo, Hungus.

Wait till its like futurama Internet.

CianRyan

I much prefer myspace.
I like that i can actually customize my page and not just do what the website thinks is good.
I mean with html and css.

Face book is just packed full of annoying groups and childish games, which tbh just get on my metaphorical tits.

Myspace is for people that can actually use the internet, where as, Facebook is for people that haven't a clue.

CianRyan

jumpguy wrote: »

Why can't people just be on MySpace...and...wait for it...Facebook! Heck, you might even be on Bebo too!!! Fresh thinking, I know.

I have all of them.:cool:

The guy

galwayrush wrote: »

I is on Myspace.

Well you must be a Ni-


























Nice person then.

An Fear Aniar

Will somebody add me as a friend?

My Page

.

amacachi

CianRyan wrote: »

I much prefer myspace.
I like that i can actually customize my page and not just do what the website thinks is good.
I mean with html and css.

Face book is just packed full of annoying groups and childish games, which tbh just get on my metaphorical tits.

Myspace is for people that can actually use the internet, where as, Facebook is for people that haven't a clue.

Most people's MySpace pages remind me of Geocities pages at the end of the 90s.