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MySpace vs. "My Space"

by Cheryl Dryer

Some people wonder why I have a blog -- why I have a MySpace account. They wonder why I would spend so much time putting my life, myself, and my feelings online for everyone to see. They say the Internet is too impersonal and that you never know who will read what you've written. I thought the question deserved an answer...

The Good

I find that when I keep things bottled up inside, my emotions can leak out at the worst times. But when I try to talk to people about things that are bothering me, I get nervous and can't seem to find the right words. Sometimes it seems like the only thing I'm good at is putting my foot in my mouth. Enter MySpace.com!

MySpace.com is a community/forum where people can post information about themselves and let other people comment online. The communication doesn't happen face-to-face, so it's great for people like me because I can take all the time I want to formulate what I'm going to say.

It also gives me the chance to say anything I want. It gives me a way to vent when I'm hurt or angry. It gives me a place to throw out ideas and get feedback from other people. It gives me a forum to tell people what's really on my mind and gives them a way to respond. It's amazing how honest people will be when they don't have to look you in the eye.

The Bad

I have to be frank though; it's not a perfect situation. Even though I know that lots of people are reading what I write on MySpace, the fact is that it's still impersonal in the end. I can come up with just the right words, but I can't add to those words with a facial expression. People can't see the happiness, sadness, conviction, or resignation in my eyes when they read something I've tapped out on my computer keyboard. The human element of the communication is gone.

Although I like being able to carefully craft my words, I sometimes wonder if doing so creates an inaccurate portrait of me. I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. I say the wrong things, and the right things in the wrong way. That's who I am. But that's not what people would guess if they only knew my online persona. Is that the real me? Or is it even more of a fabrication than the mask I wear at school?

The Other "My Space"

Luckily, MySpace.com is not the only space that is "my space". The other is youth group. At youth group, I really do feel like it's "my space". It's a place where I can talk about myself, and others can comment back to me. And I have plenty of time to say what I want to say, in the way I want to say it... and I'm not judged if the words don't come out quite right on the first try.

And just like the online version, it gives me a way to vent when I'm hurt or angry. It gives me a place to throw out ideas and get feedback from other people. It gives me a forum to tell people what's really on my mind and gives them a way to respond. It's amazing how honest people will be when they do have to look you in the eye!

At youth group, I don't need to come up with just the right words, because I'm able to add to there meaning with a facial expression. People can see the happiness, sadness, conviction, or resignation in my eyes when I'm sitting in front of them, gazing into their faces. The human element of the communication is there, and it's incredible.

I know that I was created in the image and likeness of God, and that He said I was "very good". But I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. I say the wrong things, and the right things in the wrong way. That's who I am. And the people at "my space" -- the people in my youth group -- know that, and love me because of it. There's nothing online that can compare to that. In a competition between MySpace and "my space", my friends at youth group win hands down.

Life Applications:

How do you feel about blogs and online diaries?
Where is your "space"? Online or somewhere else?
What can you do to help others feel that youth group is their space too?

Copyright 2006-2009 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.