The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

Got a tip? Have something you need to tell us? Contact us

Loading Recent Classifieds...

Not happy with your real life? Use MySpace

Americans love to waste time. Americans love to pose and be that which they are not. Therefore, Americans love MySpace.

The virtual community that has ensconced this nation’s youth and its attention has become somewhat of a nuisance and a burden to those seeking to truly live their life and experience it with a fellow human being, in real time.

MySpace is a community of media junkies and cyberspace misfits that have absolutely defined the terms like apathy and detachment.

No longer do we need to actually go to another part of the city, which we already live in, or parts of the world we wish to see in order to have those experiences. No, instead we can just look at pictures that someone else took, or listen to music or sounds of the places that we wish we were or could be, gathered by someone else.

For some, MySpace is a way to complement the already pseudo-extravagant and wanna-be-celebrity status lives that some people chose to live, as a means to bring even more tribute and praise to themselves and a life already chalk full of achievement and triumph.

For others, MySpace is a way to be whomever or whatever you want to be. If you want to be “cool,” or “hip” and fit in, then take some time, spiff and spice up “yourspace” with a quaint and contrived backdrop of glitters and moving type that can say absolutely anything you want it to.

If you think you have a dark personality, then black and red will do nicely, maybe add some graphics of movies like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” or bands like Cannible Corpse, and you’ll fit in perfectly.

If you are someone that is more upbeat and cheerful, then maybe use some pictures or images of childish cartoons or famous places in the world that you wish you had gone to, but never did.

These pictures and obscure comments that we post to represent our personal space are supposed to somehow endow to the world the youthful character that you, as a free spirit, will always represent.

The point is, just because you type it up and post in on some counterfeit forum of thoughts and ideals, doesn’t mean that is you. Who you are on MySpace is not who you are in the real world.

If you claim that you are crazy, deranged or beautiful on MySpace, chances are there is someone just a little crazier, a little more deranged and probably more beautiful than you are, in real life.

This symptom of un-connection and apathetic behavior that involves words rather than action is a becoming an institutionalized complex with people that is beginning to fit the stereotype all too well.

MySpace is supposed to be a means of networking in the real world. Sure you can run into some old friend that you haven’t seen in many years, and MySpace is supposed to facilitate your ability to run into each other in real life.

For some odd reason, the imitation nation that is MySpace has become the real world, and the world we live in is rapidly becoming a novelty.

My discontent with the lifestyle obsession that is the unending intrigue of social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook or YouTube is that there is a lack of real connection between people.

People used to use the telephone to talk, the same way people used to use the computer for work. Now it’s all just socializing or watching one form of irreverenat humor that usually puts the mind to shame.

Where did everyone’s sense of adventure go? Where did everyone’s sense of authenticity go? And oh yeah, just because you have 5 million friends on MySpace doesn’t mean you have 5 million friends in the real world.

Now on the lighter side, I do agree that MySpace does have its finer points. Local musicians, for example, can have their music heard through independent upload and download thanks to sites like MySpace.

Networking is a very big part of having a MySpace account. If you are aspiring to become part of a career circle that involves having to deal with vast amounts of people, MySpace makes it easier to have deal with so many people. But again, MySpace is supposed to be just a means to an end, not the real thing.

We used to check our actual email accounts; we used to get spam and junk mail about illicit pornography and useless consumer items. We used to meet our significant others by chance and for a reason.

Now, it’s just up to the minute MySpace bulletins about a good-for-nothing momentary thought and sentiment, or looking for that special someone, be it guy or girl, to fill our own personal voids that we seem to advertise on sites like MySpace

The “thumbslingers” are winning the war on reality, and we can’t let them. Our technology is rapidly surpassing our humanity and we are allowing it to. If we stop using our mouths and minds to speak the truth, the battle of evolution has already been lost and we don’t need to think anymore. If that is true, then we should all just smile and nod our heads at a fate that we created for ourselves.

More to Discover