Marketers looking to reach the ‘young demographic’ online normally consider advertising on high-traffic social networks like Facebook or MySpace. While subscribers to both services seem to belong to the same desired target demographic, there are distinct differences between users of Facebook and users of MySpace.
Recent research by U.C. Berkeley researcher Danah Boyd suggests that MySpace and Facebook users are dividing along race and class lines.
A BBC article noted that, broadly, Ms Boyd found Facebook users tend to be white and come from families who are keen for children to get the most out of school and go on to college. Characterising Facebook users she said: “They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities.”
By contrast, the average MySpace teenager tends to come from families where parents did not go to college, she said.
Ms Boyd also found far more teens from immigrant, Latino and Hispanic families on MySpace as well as many others who are not part of the “dominant high school popularity paradigm”.
More interesting statistics can be found in Danah’s research paper, titled ‘Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life‘.
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Scott
I find that the research done on Facebook vs. MySpace to be inaccurate. Facebook (if I am remembering correctly) was developed with college students in mind. So it would be fair and logical to say that the majority of Facebook users are college aged and educated because that is where Facebook started. Because of this, research in comparing the two seems to be skewed to favor Facebook. I’d like to see the study they conducted and where it was really conducted.
The majority of students at a local high school (that is considered a top private school but is public) has a 100% passing on the initial tests for graduation (the numbers are published). These students are in fact using MySpace, not Facebook.
Researchers can always skew numbers to suit themselves.
“Four out of five dentists prefer this brand of toothpaste.” And if you ask enough people you can get this figure. Any college class on logic will prove it.
Issmat A.
You make a good point, Scott. I think the researcher will not disagree with you on most of your observations. The intent of the research as I understand it is to point out the existing difference between the two social networks, not why it exists. Although, I think one of her papers (if not the same one) does delve into the reasons for the divide.
Thanks for stopping by the blog and your great insight and participation, Scott. Come back often!
Issmat