Is Facebook More “Mature” Than Myspace ?

One of the first things I did this morning when I got up was check my Facebook account.  Just as someone would get up in the morning and have a cup of coffee, so too has Facebook become a part of my daily routine.  On a busy day, I may only check it once or twice, but other times I can easily log in several times throughout the day.

I like to tell myself that the main reason I do it (the whole Facebook thing) is because it’s a “great way to keep in touch with my friends”- and it is….so is Twitter, e-mail, LiveJournal, Plurk and Myspace.  So, what makes Facebook so special?

The Difference Between Facebook and Myspace

My first introduction to Facebook came about when I was in college.  I was just finishing up my undergraduate degree in Language, Writing and Editing when one of my college teammates on the cross-country team told me about this new thing called Facebook.  It was only open to those enrolled in college at the time, and from what I understood, it was like having an online profile.  I remembered thinking to myself, “What was the point?” After all, everyone I needed to get in touch with, I either called, e-mailed, wrote or saw in person.  I figured there was no harm in trying it, and after I set up a skeleton profile I barely logged into it.  I thought it was boring.  Then Myspace came along.

Here we go again.

One of my other friends from back home had been talking to me and kept trying to convince me that Myspace was better- that it was “more fun” and that you could “do more with your profile”.  She promised that if I hated it, I could quit.  [Sigh].  I created a Myspace profile, and instantly became hooked.  Thinking it was silly to have two of the same types of memberships to similar social networking sites (especially since the majority of my friends at the time were on Myspace), I deleted my Facebook account and didn’t think twice.

Time to Grow Up

After a while, Myspace was beginning to take up too much of my time.  I was now finishing up graduate school, and the whole thing just seemed silly.  Just after I graduated with my second degree, I began to wish that I hadn’t deleted my Facebook account, and then something happened.  Facebook decided to allow anyone to join-not just college people.

Awesome.

I deleted my Myspace account and signed back up with Facebook.  Why, you ask?  Not only was Facebook more ‘professional’ looking than Myspace, it functioned better with less glitches and what felt like more spam controls to weed out the weirdos.  I now keep in touch with old professors and friends who live far and near.  The funny thing is, I am not the only one of my friends who has done this sort of flip-flopping.  I think many people in their mid 20s (who work) realize the value in having a Facebook account.  And now most of my friends have switched to only keeping a Facebook account.  It has to do with appearance and functionality.  Myspace might have been more “fun” but in a lot of ways it was really juvenile.  Facebook seems to add a touch of class and maturity that Myspace simply doesn’t have.

What do you think?  Do you agree or disagree that Facebook is more mature?  I’d love to hear your thoughts