Teens and MySpace

April 3, 2006

What is blogging, and why is it so popular?

A new craze has hit junior highs and high schools across the United States. Teenagers have discovered a mode of expression that takes full advantage of recent waves of new technology. Imagine this: A social community on the Internet where you can post personal journal entries and read what your friends write. Others can leave comments next to what you write and you can comment on their pages. You can even include pictures and videos of yourself.

Sound like fun? This is exactly what today’s teens are doing. And they love it! Welcome to the world of MySpace.

Although the most popular online community by far, MySpace has several competitors, including Xanga and LiveJournal. For teens, browsing through friends’ pages and updating their own has become the latest and greatest social activity. It is the perfect form of entertainment and friendship building for the generation raised on technology.

One of the most popular features of these websites is something called blogging. A blog is a series of online journal entries that make up your own personal website. Through blogging, teens can pour out their hurts, fears, joys, and every other emotion imaginable. What was once kept under lock and key in a diary becomes available for virtually all to see. Friends (and perfect strangers) can leave comments on each other’s blogs and even have complete conversations, kind of like passing a note during class.

If you thought rich friendships and interaction on the Net were impossible, it’s time for you to experience the world of teenage America. This is the new big thing.

The phenomenon has grown extraordinarily fast. MySpace has an estimated 34 million users after just two years of existence. Xanga has nearly 8 million users, while LiveJournal hosts over 7 million. And these numbers are growing.

"This is the new way kids interact," says Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future. "Fifty years ago, they borrowed their parents’ phones or made their own phones out of strings and Dixie cups. Today they have their own cell phones, and they have their own computer accounts and Web pages and they have their own blogs. It’s part of life in the cyber age."

In this new age of digital communications, blogging provides an outlet for teens to pour out their emotions. They are able to project whatever image they want others to see. They not only get to express themselves, but they can also read the online diary entries of their friends. Being involved in the lives of others is just as appealing to teens as having others involved in their own lives.

Many teenagers use MySpace and similar sites to communicate and keep up with friends. Often simpler than a phone call or an actual face-to-face meeting, friends can read each other’s blogs to know what is going on in one another’s lives quickly and easily. The comments they leave often pull a lot of social weight, too, with friends often saying things like, "Thanks for your comment!" or "Why didn’t you comment on my Xanga last night?" at school the next day.

The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding explains that these sites can serve a good purpose. They give kids who feel like they cannot talk to their parents or youth pastor a method of getting their feelings out in a real and positive manner. According to the Center, these sites can also serve as an outlet for creativity.

Yet these online social communities are not risk-free. You have probably heard at least one news story about a predator who met a victim online or who tracked down someone that shared too much personal information on their blog. There are other aspects of blogging that can be worrisome as well, such as teens posting provocative pictures of themselves or easily finding provocative pictures of others. (Stay tuned for future articles on these topics on http://www.battlecry.com.)

Understanding teens’ need and desire for acceptance helps us see why these sites are so popular. In a culture and generation that deals with many identity problems, these sites provide an arena for them to have an identity, be accepted, and be a part of a social scene.

As parents and youth leaders, we can use these sites as tools to minister more effectively. Ask your teens if they have a MySpace or other online blog. Reading them gives us deeper insight into the lives of our youth, and we can create our own sites to reach out to them. Practically, they even can be used to publicize youth events and create an online youth group community. In addition, teens who are "on fire" and passionate about their faith can even use their own online journal entries to express their faith and draw others closer to God.

Breaking news! New Online Community Just Launched on BattleCry.com!

As part of the ongoing BattleCry campaign, BattleCry.com has recently been revamped into a headquarters for students and adults to track their own spiritual growth and plan how they will impact culture with their own personalized Battle Plan.

With your Battle Plan, you will be able to strategize how you will reach this generation and make an impact on culture. You can also plan out specific steps you will take to grow in your relationship with God, and keep an online blog to share what happens with others. Then, link to your Battle Plan from your MySpace or other website to spread the word!

This new site is also a great tool for adults. They can use it to challenge young people to a more passionate pursuit of God, and watch how they are growing spiritually. Adults and youth workers will also be able to learn from others around the nation as they share tips and advice on how to grow their youth ministries and how to deal with the issues they face when working with young people.

The new BattleCry.com is a cutting-edge online community, infused with the power of the Holy Spirit and designed to help take back this generation for God.

In fact, since unveiling the new site at the BattleCry stadium event in San Francisco, over 6,500 people have now registered. Music artists Pillar and Jeremy Camp are among those creating their own Battle Plan.

All this and more is taking place on the new BattleCry.com, showing that social networking sites can be used as another powerful tool for advancing God’s kingdom. Join the movement and sign up for your own Battle Plan today!

Sources: AgapePress, MSNBC, P2Pnet.net, mezomurf.com, USA Today, indiatimes.com, iht.com, paidcontent.org, lunarstorm.co.uk, dailybruin.ucla.edu ,the source4ym.com, YPulse, redherring.com, CPYU, azcentral.com, insidebayarea.com, businessweek.com, breitbart.com, prweb.com

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Read youth culture news, youth ministry articles, and join the fight for America’s young people at http://www.battlecry.com