Does MySpace Have Any Value for Adults?

MySpace is an online community popular with pre-teens, teens, and young adults. MySpace is known for keeping the youth culture connected, socializing online and even increasing the popularity of new music artists. For example, Model & singer Cassie gained overnight fame when she created a Myspace page to promote your song. Diddy discovered her there and helped release her debut album. According to Lycos Entertainment, “Outside the online community, MySpace is slowly taking over the world of entertainment, too. Twentieth Century Fox recently announced it will make movies and television shows available for download on the site later this year.”

MySpace can be a safe place to socialize because of the ability to keep unknown people out of your circle, but the unsuspecting and innocent it could be dangerous. Teens tend to give out too much information to strangers, and invite the wrong kind of people into their circle. Between the information and the strangers, serious problems could arise.

MySpace however can be very valuable to adults in spite of its potential danger to teens. Here are the ways you can use MySpace to your benefit.

Valuable use for MySpace Account #1 Snooping on kids

Whether they have your permission or not, kids are going to use MySpace. This includes college students away from home. You can create a fake account, and become your kids “friend” to find out what is really going on in their life. Yes, it is sneaky and underhanded, but so are your kids. Theparentsedge.com has tools for dealing with your kids and Myspace and similar websites.

Valuable use for MySpace Account #2 Marketing to teens and young adults.

If your business has a product or service that will sell to teens, then MySpace is the space where you should market it. Create a space for your service or products. Join a few forums. Make friends, and sell to your target market. To quote Business Week Online, “they live online, they buy online, they play online, and their power is growing”. You will find them on MySpace.

Valuable use for Myspace Account #3 Keeping up with friends and family.

This is why MySpace was originally created. In just two months with my own MySpace account, I have caught up with two high school friends, made two business connections, and traded photos with family members who I normally see only once a year.

So do not be afraid of MySpace, it is not a big bad monster. Use it to your advantage. The danger or success is in the usage of the site.