Hitting it big with MySpace
It is not difficult to understand why. One moment Arctic Monkeys were a nobody young outfit from Sheffield in the UK. Just a few months later, after a spectacular launch on myspace.com and resultant stratospheric album sales, they were rubbing shoulders with big rock stars who had done things the traditional way — some would say the hard way.
It is unlikely to be as easy for other hopefuls logging on, but it is a sign of things to come. Just about any kid with a computer can create music in a bedroom that, a few years ago, would have required a proper recording studio. Sophisticated software mimics the most professional gear in recording studios and nowadays bands starting out have that most elusive asset: a distribution channel. It’s called the Internet.
Myspace.com clocked in at No 3 in the online social sites category of this year’s Generation Next survey, behind online community MXit at top spot and search engine Google.
Google appears to be a hit across all age groups and has even become a verb. “Just Google it.”
It is easy to use and gets results, no matter how obscure the topic. Most kids use it for instant messaging, called Gtalk or Google Talk. They can type messages and get an instant response, at no cost.
YouTube is also a site making a big impression. It is a huge online TV network where people can upload their videos for other people to see. These can be bloopers aired on commercial stations or a neighbour’s opinion on dog poop. It’s all there.
Parents are often faced with the problem of where to draw the line in terms of access to online sites.
Blogs have taken some filters away from the transfer of information. They’ve made the Internet an open forum, where everybody can air their views.
Skype, which allows people to make calls from their computers, using a broadband connection like ADSL, is attractive to South Africa’s youth but relies on access to ADSL.
Parents are slowly coming to grips with the technology that is transforming their kids’ lives.
Like the rationing of TV time, new technology spurs debate about how much of a good thing it actually is.
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