With its Ivy League origins, Facebook users have had a social leg-up on MySpace from the day Facebook was launched. Back then, Facebook was strictly limited to colleges and universities, and only in recent years did it branch out to include the rest of the unwashed masses. MySpace, on the other hand, has always been open to the unwashed masses (perhaps that's part of its appeal). There's no doubt that these humble beginnings influenced the development of these two demographics, which now seem to show clear class differences, according to the latest data from Nielsen.
The market research firm recently examined the segmentation of different social networks to provide better data to advertisers, and revealed that those who lead more "upscale lifestyles"—the top third of the population—are 25 percent more likely to use Facebook than those in the bottom third. Similarly, the bottom third is 37 percent more likely to use MySpace than those in the top third.
Facebook's academic roots may have gotten it off on the right foot, but there are other factors at play that help solidify this distinction between the two social networks. Nielsen noted that Facebook users were "much more likely" to use "professional" networking site LinkedIn than MySpace users, indicating that Facebook's userbase is more likely to be of working age and therefore more wealthy than the young'uns using MySpace.
This isn't the first time researchers have looked at the divide between Facebook and Myspace. In 2007, UC Berkeley PhD student Danah Boyd wrote that, based on a series of interviews, it appeared as if MySpace was the social networking destination for kids on the fringe who may or may not have any interest in college. At the same time, Facebook was growing into a site filled with college-educated, "upper"-class users. "[Teens using Facebook] are very aware of MySpace and they often have a negative opinion about it. They see it as gaudy, immature, and 'so middle school,'" wrote Boyd.
In addition to this class divide between MySpace and Facebook, Nielsen also observed that Twitter users and bloggers tend to be more urban than those who don't tweet or blog, with many living in major cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The firm pointed out that those who blog and tweet aren't necessarily more affluent than those who don't, though they are 18 percent more likely to be Facebook users (who are, as we just discovered, more affluent than those who aren't) and 140 percent more likely to be LinkedIn users. This discovery is supported by a report released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project earlier this year saying that Twitter users were more urban and engaged online.
So, what do these observations mean aside from providing Facebook users with material to use on their MySpace-using friends? It simply shows that there is a distinct difference that advertisers can take advantage of—MySpace is still extremely popular, after all, and remains one of the top destinations for bands and musicians to interact with their fans. A focus on music and other fringe topics would benefit there, while pushing jobs, advanced degrees, and other professional services would see more of a response on Facebook. Just don't get too carried away over-sharing on either—in an age where nearly everyone is just as connected as you, it's worth considering whether exposing your crude sense of humor to your boss is really as good an idea as you think it is.
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