Some thought Facebook’s prom-loving A-students were as cool as a fishhook in the eye, and enjoyed the stereotype of being among the artsy working-class dropouts.  Others appreciated the “rich and famous” implication of Facebook, and thought the service had a longer potential lifespan because of it. 

Well-documented among Millennials is their drive for fame, and for one of the social networks to have emerged as “the place to be” could harm the other.  But it’s impossible to say which is which: the Millennials that preferred MySpace found Facebook’s “wealthy Caucasian” stereotype appalling, even one girl who classified herself as a wealthy Caucasian. 

In other words there might not be a reason to think one service will suffer because of the stereotype.  One of the Millennials I spoke to, however, made an interesting observation: In his early 20s and a recent college graduate, he said he noticed his priorities in social interaction were beginning to change.  No longer was the “cool” factor as important as the networking.  A self-described “former MySpace user,” he said he now preferred Facebook because of its quality, both in terms of the service and the kind of people who use it.

Social networks, in other words, converge with age when priorities shift from one’s image in the eyes of others to career and future.

I asked everyone if they thought they’d be using an online social network 5-10 years from now.  Interestingly, all of them said, “I hope not.”  But when asked if they were so tied to social networks that they could not picture life without it, they all begrudgingly said yes. 

So which network did they foresee using in the future?  Every one of them said Facebook, even the girl who was repulsed by the kinds of people Boyd described in her research. 

That could spell trouble for MySpace as today’s pre-teens come into the adult social networking fold.  Many kids between 10 – 13, some of whom we interviewed in our Millennials documentary, see MySpace as a “dangerous” place, largely because of its reputation as the home of sexual predators.  If the next generation fails to adopt MySpace the way the current one has, combined with the perception that Facebook goes hand in hand with quality, it’s no wonder Rupert Murdoch wants to give it to Yahoo.

One thing overlooked in the discussion, however, is MySpace’s position in the entertainment industry.  If the service can maintain its grip as the place for bands, musicians – artists, in general – to post up and reach out, it will likely remain a steadfast rival to Facebook.  Two key developments for both companies still to come: third-party developers giving Facebook users innovative tools to personalize, and MySpaceTV.

Scott Goldberg