Facebook turned TEN this year (and didnt we all love those look back videos showing our most embarrassing pictures, statuses and moments?). But before we praise the onset of the modern social networking site, it is worth remembering how amazing its forerunner was. MySpace, for many, was the gateway to the Internet, and the first website we shared personal information. Facebook could be easily improved by adopting elements of MySpaces glory days, not just because nostalgia is an excellent marketing tool, but because they were genuinely good features. Zuckerberg is not blind to this, and many MySpace features have slowly found their way onto Facebook. While Facebook was the localised shadow of its current state, MySpace was gathering momentum: it was the first Internet phenomenon to go global; it introduced musicians to new audiences and set the entertainment industry on a new path, allowing fans to capture a glimpse into the private lives of their celebrity icons. Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest dominate now, but for a long time it looked as though MySpace was going to remain a dominant force in the brave new world of the Internet. So what happened? MySpace dwindled and declined following its induction into media conglomerates, allowing its smaller and competitive counterparts (like Facebook and Twitter) to prosper, although these social networks are now facing a similar fate as they become conglomerates themselves; Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp, buying up any threat. With the prospective fall of these giants, is it time we returned to the original social network?
A 21 year old History graduate looking for someone to listen to his ramblings. Lover of comic books, movies and all other superhero related things. Published in The Independent, always looking for interesting things to write about...Follow me on Twitter at @samclements1993, and check out my blog: http://samuelclements.wordpress.com/
