Social Networking – socially devisive?

The coming week we shall be starting on Web2.0 technology so the comments below may fit quite well with this topc. Many teenagers enjoy networking, as most people do. Beyond the street-wise aspects of this activity there is also the IT-based social networking variety around an online presence on the home computer with an internet connection. Parents are well aware and in some cases concerned about tools such as MySpace where ‘friends’ can be accumulated across the world.Anyone can subscribe to MySpace and make contact with other like-minded individuals. More recently a newer social networking tool called Facebook has been launched the idea of which has been based on making online friends in a college environment in the US; access from outside into this environment has been restricted and membership is by invitation only. It has now accepted that a clear social divide exists between Facebook and MySpace with the latter users originating predominantly from ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic backgrounds. As it now turns out some organisations have decided to ban its members from using MySpace but do permit the continued use of Facebook, an approach which appears to constitute social discrimination based on online activities (unless other reasons are provided such as security issues etc.). It will be interesting to note whether this approach is perceived as being as controversial as it would be in a real-world scenario. For further details see http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2111028,00.html