And Now...Deep Communication Thoughts by Tyson Hitchings (Sorry, Jack Handey)

I'm not going to argue if socialization sites are good or evil. What I do think about sites such as MySpace and Facebook is that these are certain signs of the changing times. I think that my summary reflects Danah Boyd's (Epley's crush) paragraph in her "Heart MySpace" article. These websites are youth's use of new technologies as a way to lose themselves with their friends. Ever since the advances of technology beginning in the 19th Century, have youth finding new ways of leaving their overbearing parents behind for a time in order to "chill out." The mid-1800s had advances in literature and gathering places, such as the soda fountain, the 1950s had hot rods and the drive-in diners, and we now have technology that now help people vent to their friends even if those friends aren't physically there. Simply put, these web sites are signs of new branches of interpersonal communication and leisure.