… then try a visit to “MySpace.com “. Today more than 100,000 million young people hang out on MySpace, surpassing Yahoo, MSN, Google and eBay in Web traffic.

Aside from the the question of what this means for those who wish to reach these young people, noted author Don Tapscott (“Growing Up Digital” and “The Digital Economy”) quotes Danah Boyd, a University of Berkly-based social scientist as saying to the American Association for the Advancement of Science that “for todays teens spending time on MySpace is about reclaiming private space.” Boyd writes, “Adults control the home the school and most activity spaces.. Teens are told where to be, what to do, and how to do it. They lack control at home, and many teens don’t see home as their private space.”

Tapscott writes “The new private spaces are incresingly found online, where young people gather en masse, network with their peers, and make shared spaces of their own. It’s Like a bedroom with closed doors. Except that on MySpace they can invite one thousand friends in.”

As the physical world becomes less welcoming, he continues, online space becomes more vital and appealing. Classic 1950’s hangout locations like the roller rink and burger joing are disappearing while malls and 7-Elevens are banning teens unless accompanied by their parents. Hanging out around the neighborhood or in the woods has been deemed uinsafe for fear of predators, drug dealers, and abductors.

Tapscott goes on to say, ” In virtual spaces teens are increasingly free to manage their interctions, form networks, and shape their own identities.”

See “Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything” p. 48-49

If any of the followers of Vincent have experience with YouTube or reflections on the above post please feel free to leave your comments below.