Throughout the years meeting new people has become somewhat easier. Networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter have crippled the human ability to interact directly with other people.
The average amount of hours spent on a computer increased more and more over the years. From 199-2002 the average amount of hours people spent online was seven hours a week. From 2003-2006 that number increased to eight or nine hours a week. In 2007 the average number of time spent on a computer rose up to 11 hours per week.
In 2008 the average reached its peak at up to 14 hours a week. Researchers assume the reason for the rise was due to the global recesion which had just set in and the presidential elections that had begun.
“I think there’s a lot of better things to be doing with your time than to sit and be on the computer for so long,” said senior Jordan Parr. “I mean it has its good and i’s bad. MySpace and Facebook are good ways to keep in touch with your friends but some people become addicted and spend all their time on the computer.”
Junior Nicole Holmes agrees.
“It’s a good way to connect with your friends but some people take it to a whole nother level,” said Holmes. “I mean if you spend more than two hours on the computer that’s way too long.”
Some sites like MySpace are dying out and are being replaced by yet another social networking site much like Facebook. Some teenagers are becoming bored of the same way of interaction and move on to new sites and begin to meet other people or simply talk to their friends there.
MySpace is one of the sites which is becoming less and less popular and now has fewer members than the previous years. In 2006 MySpace was the most popular social networking site in the United States. By 2008 its members began to turn to Facebook and its popularity decreased.
The biggest problem with MySpace is the privacy. Before, a person’s profile was only for those who they wanted it to be seen by. Profiles have a setting where a person can choose between having their profile on private — where only their friends or no one at all could see their interests — or for it to be public.
Facebook, on the other hand, has features that allow you to pick and choose which features will be set on private and which will be public.
“Well everyone is on Twitter and Facebook now,” said junior Aleyna Halatyn. “People don’t have time to be on everything at once. So I guess MySpace was the site that got the boot.”
