With social networking consuming a good portion of our daily lives it is easy to sometimes forget where it all started. Before the tweet, even before the Facebook status, there was Myspace. Launched in 2003, it was the social networking site that went hand in hand with AOL AIM and every teen’s obsession. Before the wall post, the most exciting notification was who commented on one of your countless mirror shots. So what exactly went wrong with Myspace? It continues to be used as a media outlet for upcoming bands and new music but most of us probably can’t even remember our password. Justin Timberlake has recently made a decision to change that.
The singer, actor, entrepreneur has recently bought ownership rights in the sale of Myspace in hopes of returning it to its former glory. Ironically, Justin was in The Social Network, the successful movie based on Facebook. Perhaps his role in the movie is what led him to become involved in the founding father of social networking. Timberlake is not going to just be an owner now however; he is allegedly going to become very involved in the new creative direction of Myspace.
The only thing young adults have more interest in then their friends Facebook pages, is their favorite celebrities. Timberlake plans to change Myspace incorporating that idea saying, “There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place.” Facebook President Sean Parker made a statement in June saying that Myspace failed because it did not evolve, change, or grow to keep up with the new networks. It continued to use its sloppy and aged layouts and ideas and lost the interest of the age group it was targeting. So will Timberlake’s new plans get the website back on track? He certainly has the fan base to give him the initial interest but it will be a tough journey to get Myspace back to where it once was.
Timberlake was recently quoted saying after he promotes his new movie “In Time” he is taking a year long vacation to do nothing but think about ideas and creative concepts for Myspace. It will be difficult work to compete with the likes of Facebook and Twitter but if Justin can bring sexy back, maybe there is hope for the original social network too.