Are you thinking of danah boyd's research on American teenagers and Facebook/MySpace?
The introduction says "Hegemonic American teens (i.e. middle/upper class, college bound teens from upwards mobile or well off families) are all on or switching to Facebook. Marginalized teens, teens from poorer or less educated backgrounds, subculturally-identified teens, and other non-hegemonic teens continue to be drawn to MySpace. A class division has emerged and it is playing out in the aesthetics, the kinds of advertising, and the policy decisions being made". The full essay is linked from http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/06/24/viewing_america.html
I suspect the class issues she discusses are particularly American (in terms of access to post-secondary education) but it's fascinating to see how social and educational aspirations are reflected in the choice of social networking sites.
Michael Twidale's paper at the recent MCG conference did a really good job of putting the buzz around Second Life into context.
>
Mia Ridge
Database Developer, Museum Systems Team
Museum of London Group
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-----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> Alice Grant
> Sent: 06 July 2007 09:26
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Sharing market research
>
>
> Apparently there's a class/society distinction going on with
> Facebook/MySpace - the former is supposed to be a bit more
> upmarket. Bebo is
> definitely higher in the 'cool' stakes but I'm not sure
> whether culture (as
> we know it, Jim) exists there...
>
> Al
>
> Alice Grant Consulting
> www.alicegrant.co.uk
> Fengate Farm, Fengate Road
> West Pinchbeck, Spalding
> Lincolnshire PE11 3NE
> T: +44(0)1775 640282
> F: +44(0)1775 640969
> M: 07912116062 Please note new mobile number!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of David
> Dawson
> Sent: 06 July 2007 06:50
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Sharing market research
>
> Alice
>
> My own focus group announced some time ago that SL was for adult nerds
> and nobody they knew used it.
>
> They also said how MySpace wasn't cool and everyone was using Bebo or
> Facebook - Habbo Hotel for the younger kids. There are libraries and
> museums on Habbo Hotel that kids have set up themselves..
>
> D
>
>
>
>
> David Dawson
> Senior Policy Advisor (Digital Futures)
> Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
> Victoria House, Southampton Row
> London WC1B 4EA
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Alice Grant
> Sent: 04 July 2007 18:11
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Sharing market research
>
> In the interest of sharing audience evaluation you might want to
> consider
> some spur-of-the-moment market research undertaken with 15-yr-old on
> work
> experience this week and home for lunch. MJ open on the table at the
> Second
> Life article sparked a conversation which went something like this..
>
>
>
> (User profile of subject is that of experienced and intensive user of
> Bebo,
> MySpace, MSN, YouTube etc.)
>
>
>
> Interviewer>Have you or your friends used Second Life?
>
> Respondent:'You what?? Wassat?'
>
>
>
> >It's where you can have a computer version of yourself in a computer
> version of the world
>
> 'Oh right - I know it's where you can buy stuff for sort of
> real money'.
>
>
>
> >That's right - have you & your mates used it?
>
> 'Why would we wanna do that - you've got to pay for stuff'
>
>
>
> >Well - not to just use it I don't think. But you haven't had a go?
>
> 'Nope'
>
>
>
> >Would you? Or any of your friends?
>
> 'Why?'
>
>
>
> >Well - how about if I gave you some money for it so you could do cool
> stuff
> on it? (Dangerous gambit this one.)
>
> 'Well why not just go on Sims - it's just like Sims for
> grown-ups isn't
> it?
> Why not just get Sims from Smiths and go on that? You can use
> cheats and
> build what you like'
>
>
>
> >Well - you can see computer versions of real things and talk
> to people
> there.
>
> 'Like what?'
>
>
>
> >Imagine if your fave band - say McFly were playing there
>
> 'I don't listen to them any more. Anyway, how'd they do that?'
>
>
>
> >Well - they'd have their own avatars - computer versions of
> themselves.
> You'd go and see them in the computer programme.
>
> 'Mum why would anyone want to pay to watch a bad cartoon version of a
> band
> when they could pay to see them in real life? Why wouldn't you just do
> this
> stuff in real life? Or watch them for free on TMF?
>
>
>
> >Well - some people do - though maybe a lot of them are
> people who like
> playing computer games.
>
> 'Yeah, right.' (cue withering-put-down-teenager-disparaging-adult
> look..8<
> further condescending comment edited)
>
>
>
> I don't doubt my interviewing technique leaves something to
> be desired,
> but
> TeenFL and SL user numbers notwithstanding this suggests that we may
> have
> some way to go before we are able to target this particular
> demographic
> in
> SL.
>
>
>
> (And yes I do know there are lots of interesting futures
> issues which SL
> raises - this is offered in the spirit of good humour :-) and
> reassurance
> for those who are worried that they need to do something in SL asap!)
>
>
>
> Best to all,
>
>
>
> Alice
>
>
>
>
>
> Alice Grant Consulting
>
> <http://www.alicegrant.co.uk> www.alicegrant.co.uk
>
> Fengate Farm, Fengate Road
>
> West Pinchbeck, Spalding
>
> Lincolnshire PE11 3NE
>
> T: +44(0)1775 640282
>
> F: +44(0)1775 640969
>
> M: 07912116062 Please note new mobile number!
>
>
>
>
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