Assignment 8 - Excessive Myspace Activity

Myspace stalking is an online activity that is often associated with PIU. Davis, Flett and Besser developed the Online Cognitive Scale focusing on individual differences. They found that PIU could be predicted on four dimensions --- diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction/procrastination. On these four dimensions, I know lots of people, including myself, who engage in Myspace activity on a dangerously PIU-sensitive basis. The most common of the four dimensions that arises would have to be distraction/procrastination. Who doesn't Myspace or Facebook stalk to avoid doing a problem set? The other three dimensions will come into play along with Caplan's Theory of PIU.

Myspace can lead to PIU because it allows you to search others’ profiles and, depending on how much an individual is willing to share, many profiles are quite open. Unlike other social networks like Facebook, Myspace does not limit viewers to only seeing members that belong to their networks. As long as one’s profile isn’t private, his/her profile is fair game for anyone’s viewing pleasure. Also, Myspace posts the last time someone has logged in and lets you know whether someone has read your messages or not. Availability of these pieces of information alone induces the likelihood of stalking because if you know you know that just with the click of a button you can check to see when someone last logged on, you will be inclined to click and click on all your friends pages. If you can see whether someone reads the messages you send them, you are more likely to check your sent messages than you would be if that information was not available.

In light of Caplan’s Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being, Myspace stalking does in fact apply psychosocial and internet affordances. Myspace users have less social responsibility because they are not necessarily required to present themselves in a way that they feel society thinks they should. Also, perceived social risk and greater control over self-presentation come into play because users can basically be anyone they want to be on Myspace: they can choose what information (location, age, sex, interests, and pictures) to disclose, how to present that information and who to present that information to. Greater anonymity and more intense and intimate self disclosure are key as well because people can remain anonymous (choose to make a private profile and choose whose friendship to accept) and in turn be more inclined to be themselves and share information that they normally wouldn’t share with people they already know. Sometimes people choose to interact with people who don’t know them because they feel they won’t be judged. Of course, if someone had all these internet interaction affordances, he/she would be inclined to find a home in an online space in order to let loose and be himself/herself.

In conclusion, Myspace can lead to problematic internet use because of all the information made available on the social network. A particular example of PIU associated Myspace would be stalking someone on Myspace whom you are particularly attached to but feel insecure about your relationship with him or her. This is a psychosocial problem that could lead you to compulsively check one’s last date of logging in, comment wall, pictures, top friends list, and new friends added. Also, people who feel like they can’t be themselves FtF may resort to Myspace to seek people they can talk to or feel comfortable bonding with. This induces PIU because it makes people feel more like themselves online and can lead to excessive internet use which can then lead to more problems FtF.

http://comm245blue.blogspot.com/2007/11/9-most-useless-post-youll-ever-read.html

http://comm245blue.blogspot.com/2007/11/say-i-if-you-dont-stalk-pictures.html