2008 Woodie Awards
Viewpoint - Trend spotter goes offline
By Lauren Nichole Barrera
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: Opinion
Originally published: 10/9/08 at 10:21 AM CSTLast update: 10/9/08 at 4:16 PM CST
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Granted, I was a child in the '90s; I clung to Carson Daly and the Rugrats for dear life.
Because my brother was a teen during that decade, trendy clothing like leather jackets and stylish black leather boots, the bands Bush and Smashing Pumpkins, and "Beavis & Butt-head" were more his pace.
I loved the Backstreet Boys, *Nsync and the Spice Girls. I wore bell-bottoms when they resurfaced after a long absence since the '70s, jelly sandals that blistered my toes and even sported knee-highs with plaid, pleated skirts like in "Clueless."
Now in my late teens, the trends have almost all jumped online and I have been running along behind by the heels of their shoes.
Myspace. My dear Myspace. After a long stint with my page, I have deleted it and along with it, have lost contact with many people.
I deleted my page because … well, I don't really have a clear reason.
I had my page from the time I was 14 up until a few months ago.
My password was so old I didn't even have to include a number in it like users must have now.
Back then backgrounds slowed your computer down and you were only allotted a few photos to a page; that's what I remember.
I didn't delete my Myspace page because it became too popular, nor did I delete it because I am anti-Myspace.
I deleted it in large part because I didn't see the excitement in it anymore.
There are only so many times you can change your background, change your "About Me" section or your default photo.
I got tired of reading the same bulletins from people I graduated from high school with that read, "Going out with the besties, text it if you wanna come too."
Inevitably, those annoying messages were followed by little hearts or little made-up sayings like, "I won't let you bring me down."
I mean really. Who were you talking to? Did that person even know you meant that for them?
Others said things like, "Getting drunk tonight," and "I'm so high," that also clogged up my bulletin board.
I missed many announcements actually saying something important.
Concerts of local bands, art show openings and friends' parties made their way to that little window on the corner of my homepage, but I never saw them because of the meaningless pollution that bumped them off the display.
One person's bulletin once read, "It's my birthday in a couple days and I don't even care; I'm so depressed," To which I replied to stop looking for the pity party on their Myspace page and to read the paper or go outside once in a while.
Don't think I was rude because I knew this girl very well and she was only feeling sorry for herself because she was bored.
At one time, my friends list was at an all-time high of about 500 friends.
As time wore on, that number dwindled down to 82 friends and that's where it remained until the day I erased the page.
I don't feel superior to people who have pages because I deleted mine. I simply grew out of another trendy, little phase.
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Benita
posted 10/15/08 @ 1:20 PM CST
Lauren,
my sweet Lauren, how you've grown since we last saw each other.....both in body and mind.
I am so proud of you, you are a grown woman. You can think for yourself and express yourself as one should. (Continued…)
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