What ever happened to MySpace, the forgotten social network? Instagram, Twitter and Facebook is what happened. As social networks come and go, many of us wonder; which one is the best?
Facebook, created in 2004, is the number one social network with 1.06 billion users. That is approximately 1/7th of the world. This social network allows you to connect with friends by posting on their profile, messaging, sharing photos and much more.
It’s not as perfect as it seems. Although most Carlmont students have a Facebook, there are still a few who do not.
“A while ago I just realized that even though Facebook is fun for interacting with your friends it just comes with a bunch of drama,” said sophomore Toni Lupilin. “A lot of people end up tied in other people’s drama because they comment on something. It’s all so unnecessary but easy to get away from.”
With Facebook on top, barely anyone knows what MySpace is anymore. 31 out of 133 students have or once had a MySpace account according to a poll at Carlmont. According to Google Trends, MySpace was created in 2003, and reached its peak in 2007. From there this social network plummeted as Facebook rose up.
“I used MySpace because at the time, more people had a MySpace then a Facebook account,” said senior Tatiana Viera. “It used to be the best way to connect with friends. I think that MySpace became less popular because Facebook became more popular and people wanted something new.”
“I think that the use of MySpace died down because Facebook was so much simpler,” said sophomore Andrew Wach. “On MySpace, you could change the background on your profile, but Facebook was just very simple and the same for everyone.”
Another popular social network for many Carlmont students is Instagram. According to a poll, 93 out of 133 Carlmont students use an Instagram account. Created in 2010, this network started to rise rapidly in March 2012. According to expandedramblings.com, in April 2013, Instagram had reached 100 million users, and 4 billion photos.
“I use an Instagram account because it allows me to interact and connect with the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) community,” said sophomore Jacob Gioffre. “I think it’s better than Facebook because you can choose what you want to see when you’re scrolling down the page. My Facebook news feed overflows with things that I haven’t affiliated my account with.”
Twitter is also a very popular social network among Carlmont Students. 67 out of 133 students have an active Twitter account at Carlmont. There are about 500 million total users in the whole world, of which 200 million are active users.
“I use Twitter because it’s awesome. I like it because you can post a lot more tweets without people judging you for tweeting too much. I think Facebook is probably better because you can message people and do more stuff on it,” said senior Luke Li.
Tumblr also ranks very high with popular social networks. 74 out of 133 Carlmont students have a Tumblr blog, according to a poll. In the whole world, there are 170 million users, and 100 million blogs.
“I had a Tumblr because everyone else did and it was entertaining going through pictures and putting up my own,” said sophomore Justine Phipps. “It was addicting! The more I went on the more I fell in love with blogging. I don’t think it’s necessarily better than Facebook because not everyone has a Tumblr so you can’t connect with as many people. I would definitely say Tumblr is more fun to be on, and there is a lot less drama on Tumblr then Facebook.”
Overall, as time goes on, new social networks will come and go. Like MySpace for instance, something better came along and is was forgotten. Who knows, maybe in 10 years Facebook will be long gone?
