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BY MOLLY WHITE
Times Correspondent | Tuesday, February 28, 2006 | (No comments posted.)
Young adults often are criticized for spending the majority of their lives online, but these technology-savvy teens might be up to something revolutionary. With MySpace, a free service that uses the Internet for online communication, high school students are keeping in touch with old friends and meeting millions more.
I am a novice when it comes to MySpace communication. Initially I refused to follow the trend, but I was slowly sucked into the online scene. My peers used every technique imaginable to make me believe that MySpace users are not antisocial computer nerds, but teenage socialites reaping the benefits of friendships extended into virtual reality. Grudgingly, I agreed to give it a try. I created an account; and armed with a personal blog, username and profile, I explored the MySpace terrain.
At first I was concerned about the stories I had seen on the news about online predators using Internet blogging communities to track teenagers and children. Fortunately, the MySpace creators are well-aware of this common danger, so the Web site includes a variety of safety features to protect the MySpace community. Users have the option of allowing their profiles to be open to all members of MySpace or only allowing it to be viewed by the selected members on their "Friends List."
The Web site also includes safety tips for online blogging and warns users about revealing personal information. If a MySpace blogger is a victim of "cyberbullying," harrassment inflicted by another person online, the user easily can contact MySpace customer service.
With that in mind, I was beginning to feel comfortable in the MySpace community, so I decided to search for some blogging buddies. I looked up my school and immediately found my classmates on the list of 148 members. Then I branched out and searched for my long-distance relatives, friends from camp, and even a few of my elementary school buddies on the convenient MySpace search engine. I browsed blog groups for people who share my unique interests, and I ended up joining an online group for feminists and a Broadway fanclub.
OK, I admit it. I am officially hooked. Now I am an online social butterfly. MySpace did not, however, turn me into an Internet-obsessed zombie with glassy eyes worn from long hours of staring at a screen. It allowed me to connect with more people, and my previously small circle of friends has extended with the help of my lengthening "Friends List."
We send eCards on holidays. We use "Google" as a verb. We've even begun using expressions such as "LOL!" and "OMG!" outside our virtual realm. We are the MySpace generation, and we're connecting with the world.
The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. Molly White is a sophomore at Munster High School. She can be reached in care of The Times at blaszk@nwitimes.com.
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