Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace

What does it mean that, in a society where we can't talk about class, we can see it play out online? And what does it mean in a digital world where no one's supposed to know you're a dog, we can tell your class background based on the tools you use?

Highlighted by lynetter

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities. MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by davidjennings

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities. MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by piggex

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities. MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by piggex

Highlighted by techhunter4u

Until recently, American teenagers were flocking to MySpace. The picture is now being blurred. Some teens are flocking to MySpace. And some teens are flocking to Facebook. Who goes where gets kinda sticky... probably because it seems to primarily have to do with socio-economic class.

Highlighted by ron2891

not a shift so much as a fragmentation.

Highlighted by tellio

probably because it seems to primarily have to do with socio-economic class.

Highlighted by tellio

I'm going to face the stickiness and see if I can get my thoughts across.

Highlighted by tellio

I want to take a moment to make a meta point here

Highlighted by wkufan89

The academic side of me feels extremely guilty about this; the activist side of me finds it too critical to go unacknowledged.

Highlighted by tellio

When MySpace launched in 2003, it was primarily used by 20/30-somethings (just like Friendster before it). The bands began populating the site by early 2004 and throughout 2004, the average age slowly declined. It wasn't until late 2004 that teens really started appearing en masse on MySpace and 2005 was the year that MySpace became the "in thing" for teens.

Highlighted by tellio

is not an academ

Highlighted by wkufan89

ield, but I'm not trying to situate or theorize what

Highlighted by wkufan89

college was about Facebook.

Highlighted by tellio

For all of 2005 and most of 2006, MySpace was the cool thing for high school teens and Facebook was the cool thing for college students.

Highlighted by tellio

For all of 2005 and most of 2006, MySpace was the cool thing for high school teens and Facebook was the cool thing for college students

Highlighted by ron2891

a dominating age division that played out in the cultural sphere.

Highlighted by ron2891

Still, even with the rise of high school students, Facebook was framed as being about college. This was what was in the press. This was what college students said.

Highlighted by tellio

In addition to the college framing, the press coverage of MySpace as dangerous and sketchy alienated "good" kids. Facebook seemed to provide an ideal alternative. Parents weren't nearly as terrified of Facebook because it seemed "safe" thanks to the network-driven structure.

Highlighted by tellio

the division around usage became clearer. In trying to look at it, I realized that it was primarily about class.

Highlighted by tellio

In sociology, Nalini Kotamraju has argued that constructing arguments around "class" is extremely difficult in the United States.

Highlighted by tellio

She argues that class divisions in the United States have more to do with lifestyle and social stratification than with income.

Highlighted by tellio

Class divisions in the United States have more to do with social networks (the real ones, not FB/MS), social capital, cultural capital, and attitudes than income.

Highlighted by tellio

Social networks are strongly connected to geography, race, and religion; these are also huge factors in lifestyle divisions and thus "class."

Highlighted by tellio

Class divisions in the United States have more to do with social networks (the real ones, not FB/MS),

Highlighted by ron2891

As this past school year progressed, the division around usage became clearer. In trying to look at it, I realized that it was primarily about class.

Highlighted by wkufan89

attempt to delineate what we see on social network sites in stereotypical, descriptive terms

Highlighted by tellio

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities.

MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by tellio

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities.

Highlighted by ron2891

MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by ron2891

first group of teens "hegemonic teens" and the second group "subaltern teens."

Highlighted by tellio

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities.

MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by ckz02465

The goodie two shoes, jocks, athletes, or other "good" kids are now going to Facebook. These kids tend to come from families who emphasize education and going to college. They are part of what we'd call hegemonic society. They are primarily white, but not exclusively. They are in honors classes, looking forward to the prom, and live in a world dictated by after school activities.

Highlighted by techhunter4u

The division

Highlighted by tellio

MySpace is still home for Latino/Hispanic teens, immigrant teens, "burnouts," "alternative kids," "art fags," punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queer kids, and other kids who didn't play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm. These are kids whose parents didn't go to college, who are expected to get a job when they finish high school. These are the teens who plan to go into the military immediately after schools. Teens who are really into music or in a band are also on MySpace. MySpace has most of the kids who are socially ostracized at school because they are geeks, freaks, or queers.

Highlighted by techhunter4u

Most teens who exclusively use Facebook are familiar with and have an opinion about MySpace.

Highlighted by tellio

hat "clean" or "modern" look of Facebook is akin to West Elm or Pottery Barn or any poshy Scandinavian design house (that I admit I'm drawn to) while the more flashy look of MySpace resembles the Las Vegas imagery that attracts millions every year. I suspect that lifestyles have aesthetic values and that these are being reproduced on MySpace and Facebook.

Highlighted by tellio

aesthetics do divide MySpace users.

Highlighted by tellio

teens on Facebook all know about MySpace, not all MySpace users have heard of Facebook.

Highlighted by tellio

the hegemonic teens see MySpace as "where the bad kids go." "Good" and "bad" seem to be the dominant language used to divide hegemonic and subaltern teens in mixed-class environments. At the same time, most schools aren't actually that mixed.

Highlighted by tellio

Teens from poorer backgrounds who are on MySpace are less likely to know people who go to universities. They are more likely to know people who are older than them, but most of their older friends, cousins, and co-workers are on MySpace. It's the cool working class thing and it's the dominant SNS at community colleges. These teens are more likely to be interested in activities like shows and clubs and they find out about them through MySpace. The subaltern teens who are better identified as "outsiders" in a hegemonic community tend to be very aware of Facebook. Their choice to use MySpace instead of Facebook is a rejection of the hegemonic values (and a lack of desire to hang out with the preps and jocks even online).

Highlighted by tellio

The look and feel that is acceptable amongst average Latino users is quite different from what you see the subculturally-identified outcasts using.

Highlighted by techhunter4u

In particular, subaltern teens who go to school exclusively with other subaltern teens are not likely to have heard of it. Subaltern teens who go to more mixed-class schools see Facebook as "what the good kids do" or "what the preps do

Highlighted by techhunter4u

Teens from poorer backgrounds who are on MySpace are less likely to know people who go to universities. They are more likely to know people who are older than them, but most of their older friends, cousins, and co-workers are on MySpace.

Highlighted by techhunter4u

Subaltern

Highlighted by tellio

MySpace is the primary way that young soldiers communicate with their peers.

Highlighted by tellio

Given a lack of language for talking about this, my choice of "hegemonic" and "subaltern" was intended to at least insinuate a different way of looking at this split.

Highlighted by tellio

The division around MySpace and Facebook is just another way in which technology is mirroring societal values.

Highlighted by tellio

I worry because it reproduced the idea that the "good" kids are good and that Facebook participation is good.

Highlighted by tellio

PBS Frontline put out a video called The Lost Children of Rockdale County.

Highlighted by tellio

As a society, we have strong class divisions and we project these values onto our kids. MySpace and Facebook seem to be showcasing this division quite well. My hope in writing this out is to point out that many of our assumptions are problematic and the internet often reinforces our views instead of challenging them.

Highlighted by tellio

hegemonic teens,

Highlighted by tellio

People often ask me if I'm worried about teens today.

Highlighted by tellio

the lack of mobility and healthy opportunities for play and socialization, and the hyper-scheduling and surveillance.

Highlighted by tellio

unrealistic expectations for becoming rich and famous, their lack of work ethic after being pampered for so long, and the lack of opportunities that many

Highlighted by tellio

locking teens indoors coupled with a fast food/junk food advertising machine has resulted in a decrease in health levels

Highlighted by tellio

ostracized teens, I'm worried about the reasons why society has ostracized them and how they will react to ongoing criticism from hegemonic peers.

Highlighted by tellio

lack of opportunities available to poor teens from uneducated backgrounds.

Highlighted by tellio

what a prolonged war will mean for them

Highlighted by tellio

opportunities for meaningful working class labor as these youth enter the workforce

Highlighted by tellio

they've been told that to succeed, they must be a famous musician or sports player

Highlighted by tellio

how gangs provide the only meaningful sense of community

Highlighted by tellio

I'm amazed at how well teens are coping and I think that technology has a lot to do with that. Teens are using social network sites to build community and connect with their peers. They are creating publics for socialization. And through it, they are showcasing all of the good, bad, and ugly of today's teen life

Highlighted by tellio

t breaks my heart to watch a class divide play out in the technology. I shouldn't be surprised - when orkut grew popular in India, the caste system was formalized within the system by the users. But there's something so strange about watching a generation slice themselves in two based on class divisions or lifestyles or whatever you want to call these socio-structural divisions.

Highlighted by tellio

He argued that working class teens will reject hegemonic values because it's the only way to continue to be a part of the community that they live in. In other words, if you don't know that you will succeed if you make a run at jumping class, don't bother - you'll lose all of your friends and community in the process.

Highlighted by tellio

I feel as though the implications are huge.

Highlighted by tellio

And what does it mean in a digital world where no one's supposed to know you're a dog, we can guess your class background based on the tools you use?

Highlighted by tellio

MySpace and Facebook are new representations of the class divide in American youth.

Highlighted by tellio

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