Online segregation
Encyclopedia
Online segregation refers to the unintentional segregation of people on the Internet
, which is often believed to be a democratizing tool used to bring equality among people. For example, popular social network service
s such as MySpace
and Facebook
have been argued to magnify social, political, and class divides that already exist in the real world.
Danah Boyd
, who wrote a paper on segregation among social networks, stated, "MySpace has become the ghetto of the digital landscape," and that users were leaving MySpace for Facebook, akin to the white flight
that took place during the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. During her research, Boyd also found that the people she surveyed often noted that MySpace was seen as "black" and Facebook as "white". In addition, she also observed that people of a certain race would typically befriend people of the same race, thereby mimicking the self-segregation that also exists in real life.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, which is often believed to be a democratizing tool used to bring equality among people. For example, popular social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
s such as MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
have been argued to magnify social, political, and class divides that already exist in the real world.
Danah Boyd
Danah Boyd
danah boyd also known as Danah Michele Boyd, is an American social media researcher known for her public commentary on the use of social networking sites by youth...
, who wrote a paper on segregation among social networks, stated, "MySpace has become the ghetto of the digital landscape," and that users were leaving MySpace for Facebook, akin to the white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
that took place during the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. During her research, Boyd also found that the people she surveyed often noted that MySpace was seen as "black" and Facebook as "white". In addition, she also observed that people of a certain race would typically befriend people of the same race, thereby mimicking the self-segregation that also exists in real life.