Boundary Conditions for the Application of Three Theories of Computer-Mediated Communication to MySpace

Abstract

This study examined how generally theories of taste performance, identity warranting, and social capital formation could be applied to behavior on MySpace. New MySpace members (N = 365) was tracked for 7 weeks to determine how frequently boundary conditions for these theories were satisfied. Most new members rarely visited their profiles, did little to personalize them, and did not list friends or receive comments from others during the 7-week study period. Therefore theories of taste performance, identity warranting, and social capital formation apply only to a minority of MySpace users. These findings limit the application of theories, but also point to new areas for research on social network sites and to a revised view of the interpersonal character of MySpace.