Jake Corbin

MySpace is touted as “a place for friends,” but the social networking giant has transformed into much more.

Ranked as the sixth most popular website in the world by Alexa.com, a website that provides information about web traffic to other sites, MySpace has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.

With such an explosion of popularity, however, the talk of how lame it has become is, inevitably, never far behind.

Some people have become too cool to operate a MySpace page; others simply think it’s a waste of time.

These hipsters are wrong.

With a few simple clicks of the keypad, you can find out what is going on Friday night, say “hi” to an old high school friend, preview the new hip-hop album Rolling Stone is raving about, and leave a witty message for the guy or girl you’re too afraid to talk to in history class.

Ten minutes of your time has never been this socially productive.

I realize a MySpace account is not needed to send e-mails, but where else can you go to quickly read your friend’s latest undertaking while simultaneously signing up for Thursday night’s guest list at the club?

Simply put, MySpace is a timesaver.

“It’s a way to keep in contact with more people than I normally would,” said Natasha Scott, a senior communications major. “I can know what’s going on without having to worry about a phone call back.”

For those of us interested in music (i.e., most of the college population), MySpace has also become one of the premier spots to discover new bands and stay current with your favorites.

Countless bands have abandoned their traditional websites, switching to MySpace as the primary place to post new music, list upcoming shows, and post blogs about their latest touring adventures.

Musical acts aren’t the only ones who have made the switch to the networking site. MySpace’s easy interface has caught the eye of the business world as well.

From upstart clothing companies to coffee houses, MySpace has become a way for smaller businesses to network with millions of people across the globe at a price they can afford – free.

Dr. Sanjay Varshney, the dean of Business Administration at Sacramento State, said in an e-mail that he believes websites like MySpace have a bright future and are useful in accessing large target markets; something many feel is “redefining and revolutionizing the Internet.”

This same business is also redefining the way graduating seniors make contacts with the companies they hope to work for.

Because many MySpace pages are self-run, the website oftentimes provides direct contact with the group that students are trying to get in touch with. Gone are the days of searching for telephone numbers and getting the run-around.

So the next time your friends give you a hard time for obsessively checking your MySpace page, ignore the taunts and realize they are missing out on what could be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Oneika Richardson

What is your source of self esteem? Where do you go when you need a boost of confidence? Do you turn to family, friends or co-workers?

If you’re like many young adults, you turn to the phenomenon known as MySpace. Who knew that a simple, social network would turn into the marvel that it is today?

Logging in can change the type of day you have, it can alter your mood. I can’t explain the feeling I get when I log in and I see the ‘New Friend Request’ alert, or even better, a photo comment! The thought of someone taking the time to view my recent pictures from my birthday celebration or recent vacation produces euphoric feelings that can’t possibly be put into words.

Mamta Sharma, senior nursing major, has a MySpace account and a Facebook account. “I only log in once or twice a day but when I log in, it gets addicting,” Sharma said.

With that said, MySpace is a beast, plain and simple. It’s a living, breathing and growing beast. Not only do I find it useless, but over the past six months I have grown to loathe MySpace. Let me count the ways?

Backshots-a-plenty!: No one wants to see your in-the-bathroom-mirror camera-phone picture of your ass. It’s trashy, tasteless and desperate. And let’s be real, who cares if that one picture alone has gotten you 59 comments? It’s not photographic genius. Let me tell you what it is: it’s a backshot and given the chance any woman with large posterior could pull just as many comments as you, if not more.

Old(er) people on MySpace: At 24, I am starting to see how pointless it is to have MySpace account, so riddle me this Tom – what is with the sudden surge of middle-aged people on MySpace? I’m talking full-blown mamas and daddies.

Senior government and Native American Studies major Chrissa Desrosiers understands the impact of MySpace. “My mother-in-law is on MySpace,” she said.

Let me make this crystal clear, if you are around the age of 47, you don’t need a MySpace account. Furthermore, why do you have one? And don’t give me that age-old excuse of “networking.” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that same 47-year-old site “networking” as a reason for having a MySpace account, I wouldn’t have to pay my tuition in installments.

While we’re on the subject of networking, I also have a severe problem with the abundance of preachers, pastors and bishops on MySpace. Don’t use MySpace to promote your church, fellowship or ministry. There is really no excuse for it and imagine how credible you sound when you slip in your MySpace URL between Galatians 2:6.

Where are our lives headed if MySpace has become an essential to our existence?

Andrew Blottie, freshman mechanical engineering major, doesn’t have a MySpace account and considers it a fad.

“It’s a bandwagon and everyone’s doing it,” Blottie said.

If you are waking up and the first thing you do is log on, you may want to reevaluate your life. With that said, I have to run; I need to see if anyone posted any new comments on my page.

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