Facebook, Myspace, and the New Media

Date August 15, 2007 Posted by Roger Overton

Over the past few days I’ve seen a number of articles claiming
that Facebook is growing faster than Myspace…

Are MySpace Users Spacing Out?
The Facebook Generation Gap (HT: Scriptorium Daily)
MySpace Popularity with Teens Fizzles

The one that really caught my attention was “Social
Networking and Class Warfare” by Steven Levy. He discussed a recent study that
found an interesting link between class and which network people belong too:

“The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes and other 'good'
kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who
emphasize education and going to college.” MySpace is still home for
“kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job
when they finish high school.”

Facebook began as, and is still, primarily focused around
college networks. So it seems it should follow that there is more of an
upper-class atmosphere there than on Myspace. I think aesthetics also has
something to do with it as well. Many people on Myspace overload their profiles
with obtrusive graphics and obnoxious music (not to mention the ads). Facebook,
on the hand, has a consistently clean and professional look, which is likely
more preferred by educated and professional consumers.*

One implication of this division (general as it is), is that
advertises will likely go where the consumers have more money, and this is
likely to be Facebook. In the long run, I suspect Facebook will be more
profitable.

However, I think it’s more interesting (and profitable) for us to consider how
Christians can use these networks for God’s glory. Due to Facebook’s group
features, I think it provides more avenues for discussion and connecting with
non-Christians. I’m suggesting Christians abandon Myspace, but I am suggesting
our time may be most economically spent in Facebook if we are to engage these
networks for advancing God’s kingdom.

I’ll have a bit more to say about this in the coming days,
but I’m interested in your feedback. Those of you who have dabbled in these
networks, what opportunities do you see for evangelism or Christian community?
Even if you’ve stayed away from these networks, I’m interested in your reasons
for dis-involvement.

* It should also be noted that many people participate in
both networks. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any statistics noting how many are
in both.

Related posts:

  1. The New Media Frontier
  2. How New is New Media?
  3. ETS 2006- H. Chris Ross: Promoting Evangelical Faith Through New Media
  4. Revenge of the Links
  5. A Call to Personal and Public Holiness- Online Edition
  6. Interview with David Wells, Part 2

Category Posted in Main Page, New Media, Roger's Posts

3 Responses to “Facebook, Myspace, and the New Media”

  1. Anonymous said:

    August 15th, 2007 at 1:27 am

    I have both. It's not good for the reputation for a guy out of college (or old enough to be) to have a myspace, and I hope I don't have to elaborate why, but still, I have to have one to comment on their blogs. It's sad because myspace's soft porn is a huge compromise for a single guy like me.
    I see where that guy is coming from, and your point on how it makes sense that facebook caters to college crowds. Regarding kingdom work though, would I be out of line to take the opportunity to point out the edification side of the coin? After all, the groups have the efficacy of bumper stickers, so they can be words aptly spoken for spreading right thinking rather than linguistic slights of hand, and that without upsetting the people you cut off in traffic. It

  2. Anonymous said:

    August 15th, 2007 at 10:30 pm

    My posts are also fed over to my MyChurch.org profile, so I'll occasionally be posting comments from there here. This one is from Kathy:

    Roger, in response to your question: Those of you who have dabbled in these networks, what opportunities do you see for evangelism or Christian community?
    I was “dabbling” before I found MyChurch, and always saw it as a ministry, even to the point that my first thought about MyChurch was “Why would I want to go there?” Now that I'm here though I love it and find it to be equally a ministry, but of an entirely different kind, like the difference between ministering in a church and ministering in the “marketplace.”
    For example, when I posted my blog on Why Biblical Guidance Doesn't Work it generated the following comments on another site, where I have a fairly wide readershp of both Christians and nonChristians, although most of my posts are about Christian life. (Notice the sharp contrast to comments here on MyChurch to the same blog):
    Comment 1: If more ministers (and other titles) spoke of the things you write, I would be inclined to attend church. From me, that's saying quite a lot. I so enjoy your blog!
    Comment 2: Now if you'd just move to Florida and start a church I don't think I'd ever want to leave it. Your messages always lift me up, make me think, and cause me to immediately share. I thought I'd grown too cynical, but I was wrong.
    I was able to share with both of these readers the names and addresses of churches in their areas with whom I share a similar theology, and #2 responded as follows:
    Thanks for the information . . . I discovered today that my daughter lives only two blocks from College Park Baptist Church. My husband and I were driving over to her house this afternoon (she's on vacation and we've been feeding her cats), and just as we turned onto Drive from , I noticed College Park Baptist. I'd seen it before, but never thought of visiting. I checked out their website and listened to some of 's sermon from last Sunday. I enjoyed what I heard. College Park is considered the “hip, young, and bohemian” part of town – my daughter wouldn't live anywhere else ;> We will definitely visit and I'll give a full report. Thanks again.
    All that to say, yes, these networks are definitely mission fields, where we can reach all kinds of people, and lots of them, in an environment they find nonthreatening. So many people are seeking spiritual truth but have become disenchanted with the Church as they have known it.
    I have noticed many of the trends you mention here, particularly pertaining to age, social status, and site popularity. Thanks for an interesting post, Roger, and welcome to MyChurch!

  3. Anonymous said:

    August 16th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

    another thing (about them groups) is that they can be self-stigmatizing. People can easily read into others' personalities by them, so I try not to make that fallacy any easier.
    By the way, does anybody really read facebook notes besides those published by their bestfriends/crushes?

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