Web 2.0 Discussion

comScore says teenagers do not make up the majority of MySpace.com users.

Last week while beach-holidaying in Dominican Republic, I was doing what I always like to do on my time off - catch up on the reading. The object was a well written in-depth piece on MySpace.com in a recent issue of Fortune magazine (“MySpace Cowboys”, September 4, 2006, page 66). As much as I appreciate business media not ignoring the subject of social web networking, I almost choked on my coconut when I came across a few stats that I’d like to challenge with all of you.

While I agree that MySpace revolutionized the way people express themselves online by taking the fundamental freedoms into action and letting their members have control over content; something that caught my attention was a stat. According to comScore Networks, a global Internet information provider, “87% of [MySpace] users today are 18 or older; 52% are 35 or older, according to comScore.” Which means that only 13% of site’s users are younger than 18 years of age. Now, with years of personal and professional experience of building and managing online communities, that statistic provokes a question - how many under-aged teenagers actually admit their real age when signing up for MySpace-like or YouTube-like services? Would you be able to take this information to your advertising partners as accurate and valid? I know I wouldn’t.

As far as registration forms go, there is no possible way to verify ANY of the information being submitted, unless at least billing information is collected. Selecting fake day, month and year of birth from a drop-down menu and clicking a box next to “I agree to Terms of Use” field has never really stopped nor scared anyone on the web. In addition, let’s have a look at the content itself. Every time I happen to pass by, I get exposed to vulgar, often offensive material; members spam each other senselessly; YouTube pages, for example, are filled with spam and cursing - who is behind this? An “over 20″ crowd?

Finally, we have to look at who really is behind the explosive scene of social networking, who builds up the hype and traffic, who acts on promotional schemes involving game consoles, who becomes friends with a 14-year old female?

According to Fortune, “on a typical day [MySpace] signs up 230,000 - roughly the population of Scottsdale.” If not for dramatic figures, I would have loved the opportunity of raw re-count - this time not based on registration forms data, rather what members’ profiles tell us. Until then, we’ll have to believe that MySpace is a purely adult environment.

What is your take on the userbase stats provided by comScore? Do you believe the numbers are accurate? If not, how do you see the age distribution of MySpace member base?

PS: I posted this on my blog as well.

Best,

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Artashes Toumanov | Talkio Inc.