So it's official. Apparently your choice of social networking site indicates what social class you belong to... A recent US research project (by a PhD student mind you) has reported that users of FaceBook are generally toffs from wealthier homes and are more likely to study in further/higher education than that great unwashed working class lot who like using MySpace. Well, fancy that. I guess the fact that FaceBook organises its regional networks on the basis of the colleges or universities its members attended might have something to do with it...? And what about those who use Bebo - are they part of a particular social class, or are they just little oiks who couldn't design a tasteful personal space to save their lives?
Anyway, I'm not so sure about this report. I used to have a MySpace, but abandoned it because FaceBook was easier to use. I subsequently found out that more of my friends were using it than MySpace, so it made social networking easier. The fact that I'm working in a university didn't sway me either way. The two are very similar in what they do, but for me FaceBook has the edge because I can upload my 'orrible little photos a bit easier. In the UK, incidentally, being wealthy and attending college are not necessarily synonymous, so the data in the study may not generalise to a British context.
What do you think? Oh... and not so's you'd notice, but the links above have been swapped for effect.... doesn't really make that much difference, does it?
Here is the link to the University of Plymouth elearning site and also back to the Learning with 'e's blog where you will find loads more on social software...
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