Yeah, I honestly did not really understand why Myspace was that big of deal (other than for bands trying to make it - it did seem like a useful platform for that) and I didn’t really see what distinguished FB as anything remarkably better? Maybe it was just more addictive, and that’s it. I still get annoyed when someone sends me a FB link to something, because usually to read much of it, I have to log in. FFS, walled garden? Why not send me a link to a Compuserve forum or something?
…but it still makes me laugh that starting around the time of FB’s ascent, the notion of technical/media literacy jumped from actual literacy in either/both of those things, to knowing your way around a particular brand’s version of that, all while dumping on the last set of now-deemed-uncool-by-the-cool-kids brands. So, at one point, it was all the hilarity to bash someone still using Myspace, while being on Facebook. Now it’s moved onto dunking on “boomers” still using Facebook with any kind of frequency and proclaiming that only the people on TikTok really “get it”.
WTF is there to get? This is a brand thing. People sliding their finger around on a screen, engaged with an algorithm meant to treat them like someone at a slot machine are probably actively getting stupider about both tech and media, regardless of the brand they happen to be using. This is like saying someone drinking Coke doesn’t really get it, because “Pepsi is the choice of a new generation”. Brainless.
Yeah, I honestly did not really understand why Myspace was that big of deal (other than for bands trying to make it - it did seem like a useful platform for that) and I didn’t really see what distinguished FB as anything remarkably better? Maybe it was just more addictive, and that’s it. I still get annoyed when someone sends me a FB link to something, because usually to read much of it, I have to log in. FFS, walled garden? Why not send me a link to a Compuserve forum or something?
…but it still makes me laugh that starting around the time of FB’s ascent, the notion of technical/media literacy jumped from actual literacy in either/both of those things, to knowing your way around a particular brand’s version of that, all while dumping on the last set of now-deemed-uncool-by-the-cool-kids brands. So, at one point, it was all the hilarity to bash someone still using Myspace, while being on Facebook. Now it’s moved onto dunking on “boomers” still using Facebook with any kind of frequency and proclaiming that only the people on TikTok really “get it”.
WTF is there to get? This is a brand thing. People sliding their finger around on a screen, engaged with an algorithm meant to treat them like someone at a slot machine are probably actively getting stupider about both tech and media, regardless of the brand they happen to be using. This is like saying someone drinking Coke doesn’t really get it, because “Pepsi is the choice of a new generation”. Brainless.