"Just MySpace me!" Two years ago, that phrase was not even a
part of our lexicon. But today, it's followed by every sorry pick-up line,
coffee shop come-on and quick hi and bye. You can show off your new caked-on
look to your junior high crush, create a gloriously vain page about you and
your lame band or simply chat with a friend by 23 degrees of separation.
With a
swift search, anyone and their momma (literally) can see into your world of
collegiate drunkenness and shameless electronic trysts as pictures and online
diaries are posted along with personal information like the schools you
attended or even your current job. But, what's so ironic about this craze is
that young people are natural exhibitionists, with no proclivity for caution.
In MySpace world, the wilder your page, the better. So, that means feature
same-sex make-out sessions and more fraternity binge contests and you're hot
ish.
But, how long could an online community visited by over
250,000 people daily be kept secret from, say, your Ethics professor? Not only
have employers begun to run searches on the site to view the behavior of
potential employees, but school officials have traced sexual relationships
between students and teachers via the site.
And, there's more controversy than
ever brewing on the religious front. Church deacons have been stripped of their
titles because of their children's MySpace secrets and young churchgoers have
become more jaded with religious life than ever before because of the site.
Pastor David Vega of International Outreach Church in Miami, Fl, said "MySpace has opened doors of doubt to the young because [they] are wondering why it's all right for their Jesus Freak peers to be flaunting a hidden life of club-hopping, sex, and profanity online." But, not to worry, the can't beat 'em, make our own mentality, has given birth to a new online community called the "Christian Alternative to MySpace," --> Xianz.com. Lame carbon copy or sweet substitute? You be the judge!