Interaction - Myspace Style

Since the birth and subsequent popularity of the internet, there have been many web sites developed which provide free community membership and features such as profiles, messaging, chatting, and other forms of self-expression and interaction between users. However, it would be safe to say that up until this point, few other sites have made as much impact and garnered as much world-wide popularity as Myspace.com.

Since its inception in 2003, there have been well over 175 million profiles created on Myspace, and according to Alexa.com, it is now the fifth most popular website worldwide, falling right below such well-known sites as Yahoo, MSN, Google, and Youtube.

While no one can question its popularity, there are many who are less than impressed with its generic layout, annoying ads, faulty security, and controversy regarding underage users. And yet, the total number of profiles created continues to climb higher every day. It is interesting to consider why this kind of website has become such a huge cultural phenomenon, and in what ways it has changed the way people interact with each other.

When a user registers with Myspace, they are given a profile containing different sections that can be filled out with certain kinds of information. First there is space for a profile picture and a "tag line" (a short section of text that is one of the first things seen when a profile is viewed), space to list the user's latest blog entries, a section with different ways to contact the user, and a general "about me" section which the user is free to fill with whatever they want.

On one side of the site, there is also a section that allows the user to display their responses to several generic categories provided by Myspace, such as their marital status, schools attended, interests in movies and music, sexual orientation, hometown, body type, and many others. These profiles also include a space to list the user's "friends," and a section where comments from other users can be posted.