Youth Ministry: MySpace
MySpace is ugly. I think that it isn't particularly functional, the designs are ugly and cumbersome. The system for commenting is annoying. Users often talk about rubbish, but then again teenagers are the key demographic for using MySpace. I think that there are better methods of having a presence on the internet (such as blogger and wordpress). BUT... having said all this, ccecyouth has a myspace page. I made it earlier on this year before I knew of any youth group kids that had one. A couple of months ago I stumbled onto a whole bunch of them (only 29 at the moment). I don't spend much time at myspace. I will occasionally quickly peruse their pages but not much.
Why have a youth group myspace?
Do you have a MySpace? Does your church or youth ministry or organisation or band have a MySpace? Do you think it's ugly?
21AUG Update:
Article here & here (h/t Tracy) and here (h/t Josh)
24AUG Update:
Interesting article here. It talks about the link between myspace, generation Y, meaning and ministering to Gen Yers. Too many good quotes to put here (so go read it!)... but here's one: "In a media environment in which marketing is king, young people have become marketers of their own personal image and ‘brand’."
25SEP Update:
Check out this article (h/t Josh)
Why have a youth group myspace?
- Teenagers have them - so it's a way of being present in their world
- Teenagers often write stupid things, ungodly things - so it's good for Christians on MySpace to have some form of accountability knowing their youth leaders and friends from youth group will look at their page
- It's a way to redirect people to our main site
- I've encouraged our youth to put ccecyouth in their top 8 friends so that non-Christian friends will see the distinct ccecyouth logo and possibly visit our site or youth group - or at least know that their friend is happy to be associated with 'Christians'
Do you have a MySpace? Does your church or youth ministry or organisation or band have a MySpace? Do you think it's ugly?
21AUG Update:
Article here & here (h/t Tracy) and here (h/t Josh)
24AUG Update:
Interesting article here. It talks about the link between myspace, generation Y, meaning and ministering to Gen Yers. Too many good quotes to put here (so go read it!)... but here's one: "In a media environment in which marketing is king, young people have become marketers of their own personal image and ‘brand’."
25SEP Update:
Check out this article (h/t Josh)
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 1:32:00 am
just found they have myspace groups.
so made one.
see how it goes
dave top
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 1:33:00 am
woops forgot address...
http://groups.myspace.com/ccecyouth top
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 2:51:00 pm
What is the significance of making a 'group'? top
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 3:17:00 pm
That picture looks just like the cover of Tom Waits's brilliant album "Real Gone". Great record, nothing to do with youth groups though, unless you played it to them, which I am sure they would love.
the wildfrontier top
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 3:18:00 pm
Dude,
you forgot Ze's "I knows me some ugly myspace showdown". These define ugly myspace.
Here are the entries, and this is the winner. The music on the winning page has to be heard to be believed.
Also, want to link to our blog? It's bathgates.net.
Love your work. top
Tuesday, August 15, 2006 11:32:00 pm
Yeah can't say I've ever been a huge fan of the whole myspace movement, but good to see it being used for the gospel!
That winning page...*shudder*...
BS was good tonight...Steve led us blokes (all 2 of us) well :) top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 8:34:00 am
what's myspace?? never heard of it. I gather it's some youth thing. I must be gettin' really old! (actually, as of last Saturday I guess you could say I'm in my mid-thirties! Aaaggghh!!) top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:45:00 pm
joel c
don't know.
i just saw another gropu on someone's myspace and thought i'd make one... it only took 2minutes top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:47:00 pm
christopher
just had a listen to some of your band's music.
i like how you haven't uglified the myspace site... kept it simple! top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:49:00 pm
ben,
thanks for the ze refs. didn't have tme to link to them... how funny is the i knows me some ugly myspace theme music!!
(by the way - i thought mysapce was ugly b4 i knew that ze existed!)
will put your link in next time i change html... soon.
i put you on my rss reader thing
peaceout top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:50:00 pm
matt
agree on that *shudder*!!
glad growth group was good. top
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:52:00 pm
andy
yes ur getting old...
but you've got a pretty hip music device!! top
Thursday, August 17, 2006 7:33:00 am
yes, I do have a pretty hip music device! But I'm feeling a bit out of my depth knowing what to do with it! I've gone onto iTunes a few times and don't know where to start! Downloaded whole INXS album last night (the latest one with the new lead singer) and have been listening to it this morning.
Wait till you see the cool photo I've got with EJ wearing said music device - you'll love it! top
Thursday, August 17, 2006 12:00:00 pm
i like how you haven't uglified the myspace site... kept it simple!
Thanks, but I must say, even if I wanted to uglyfy it I wouldn't know how to.
Still haven't put a picture on my blog yet top
Monday, August 21, 2006 9:21:00 am
here is an article related to this topic.
peaceout
dave top
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 4:26:00 pm
Spot on David - myspace is ugly.
Point two is right on the money. I wonder what difference it might make if some people knew that their parents or people at their church looked at their blog/myspace! top
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 4:51:00 pm
i spent a shortwhile this arvo having a look at some of their comments and so forth. generally things look okay. immature stuff... but not necessarily ungodly.
the main stuff that may be more dodgy is the comments from their non-Xn friends...
i'll keep an eye out... and try to remind people of the other eye being kept out in Psalm 139... top