Has MySpace Become a Junk Pile?

Launched in August of 2003, MySpace quickly became a popular social networking site. Owned by the News Corporation, which also owns Fox Media; it is the brainchild of Brad Greenspan, Chris DeWolf, Josh Berman and Tom Anderson. By June 2006, MySpace had become the most popular social networking site in the United States. MySpace held onto this spot until April 2008, when Facebook overtook it in popularity and overtook it in the number of accounts. In June of 2008, MySpace laid off 30 percent of its employees.

One of the reasons that MySpace is suffering a decline is the enormous amount of ads on its pages. When MySpace first started, it was a simple way for people to stay in touch with family and friends. It has now developed into a platform for corporations and celebrities to attract customers. When I sign onto my MySpace page, it’s like, “Hey, is that an ad, or it an actual link to something I want to see?” Sometimes it is so hard to tell.

One user counted 15 ads on their profile page. Spam is rampant in mailboxes, and it takes forever to delete the unwanted messages. You take your chances with your computer’s security by browsing MySpace. Ad spyware and viruses run rampant and post a serious threat to the users' computers. If you like to play online casino games, like craps and poker, you still might not want to take your chances on MySpace.

Even with all of these problems, MySpace continues to be a popular social networking site, especially with teenagers. To have a MySpace account, a person must be at least 13 years of age. All accounts of users who are 13 to 16 years old are set on private. When a user turns 16, he or she has the option to set their account to public, though it is not advisable since sexual predators love MySpace. If MySpace continues to be an online billboard, Facebook may yet overtake it completely and dominate the social networking realm.