2005-11-04 Web

I feel old. I missed the development and growth of MySpace. Nice article in Wired.

Via O'Reilly Radar.

Some quotes from the excellent Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace, by DanahBoyd

Most teens are concerned with resolving how they perceive themselves with how they are perceived. To learn this requires trying out different performances, receiving feedback from peers and figuring out how to modify fashion, body posture and language to better give off the intended impression. These practices are critical to socialization, particularly for youth beginning to engage with the broader social world.
Adults often dismiss the significance of popularity dynamics because, looking back, it seems unimportant. Yet, it is how we all learned the rules of social life, how we learned about status, respect, gossip and trust. Status games teach us this.
Although adults often perceive hanging out to be wasted time, it is how youth get socialized into peer groups.
Adult public spaces are typically controlled spaces for teens.
Additionally, structured activities in controlled spaces are on the rise. After school activities, sports, and jobs are typical across all socio-economic classes and many teens are in controlled spaces from dawn till dusk. They are running ragged without any time to simply chill amongst friends.
They want to be visible to other teens, not just the people they they’ve friended. They would just prefer the adults go away. All adults. Parents, teachers, creepy men.

Via Many-to-Many and her own blog.

#Web