A Welcome Resurrection? Or a Total Zombie? The Future of Myspace
Remember Myspace? Do you have fond memories of the ubiquitous “Tom”? If you were a young person in the 2000s, Myspace was probably your first online home — and a considerable part of your life was spent toggling between Myspace and AIM.
While AIM is dead-and-gone, Myspace is out there, existing in the ether, waiting, it seems, to make a comeback.
Once Upon a Time…
Thinking back, it’s easy to experience the “warm and fuzzies.” Myspace existed before “fake news” and there were never issues with bots or trolls. Instead, it allowed us to get close to celebrities and steal a peak into their worlds. We made new friends and our world became bigger because of Myspace, as opposed to the echo chambers we currently live in on Facebook and Twitter. Myspace was something special.
The First Generation
The first social media influencers were born here. Consider Hanna Beth and Jeffree Star. The former went on to win House of DVF on E! and he has become known as a fashionista. Star, who began on Myspace as a musician, heads a best-selling makeup line today. Even Myspace Tom has successfully reinvented himself as a travel photographer.
Then, of course, let’s talk about one of the world’s biggest stars. Enter Kim Kardashian. She introduced herself as “Princess Kimberly” and only had 856 friends — quite different from her 204.6 million followers on social media today. Here, she shared a side of herself that was less packaged and polished. However, as she soared to fame through “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” her Myspace profile became less active.
The Rise and Fall of Tila Tequila
A discussion about Myspace would not be complete without a port-mortem on Tila Tequila. Joining Myspace in 2003, she courted Internet fame aggressively, and without the name recognition of someone like Paris Hilton. She worked hard and used Myspace to show off glamourous pictures and feature her music. Plus, she made fan interaction a priority. She helped Myspace grow in popularity just as much as the platform helped her raise her profile.
However, her blend of outrageous social over-sharing coupled with dramatic personal antics did not find a home offline. Her reputation became more sordid as the sleazy “anti-Kim,” moving from the mainstream into the dark underbelly of showbiz.
A Behemoth’s Shadow
Myspace currently has 15 million active monthly users — a stark comparison to Facebook’s 160 million. However, Myspace has reinvented itself and become known as a popular place for music and entertainment news. The site is thriving, albeit on a smaller scale — and big-name celebrities, such as Calvin Harris (another early adopter), Taylor Swift, and Blake Shelton, use the site to showcase their music and connect with fans. The site allows for a unique networking experience, bridging the divide between influencer and follower. Facebook is about who you know, but Myspace is about who you want to know.
A Digital Treasure Trove
Social media users put so much out there — and leave much behind. Consider pictures on Myspace. There is a new trend of former Myspace users taking digital walks down memory lane — and it’s possible to access ancient snaps via old profiles — they’re still active. Of course, it’s likely that any massive data download is going to find its way to Facebook and Instagram, but how lucky is it that countless digital histories have not been wiped clean? Myspace might seem like the digital land that time has been forgotten — but if one happens to be in need of some classic #TBT goodies, there is no better place.
