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How Social Networks are like High School

Posted by Jenn Lowther and Nadia Nascimento

Nadia and I spend tons of time on social networking sites. We’re on or have been on facebook, linkedin, twitter, youtube, plurk, myspace, friendster, adgabber, adrants, britekite, digg, reddit, fark, slashdot… After having spent some time on all of these sites, we’ve made some general observations - they remind us of being in high school. Each site is like one of the cliques present in high schools everywhere. So for a bit of fun and slacking off while at work, we went through and tried to figure out the personality of each of the major networks.

Let us know if you think we’ve mis-categorized any or if we’ve left your favorite off the list.

Digg: The mass of nameless faces in high school that never quite managed to make it into any particular group.

Reddit: The Audio Visual Club

Facebook: The Jocks and Prom Queens

MySpace: The Stoners and Emo Kids

Twitter: The Gossip Girls and Social Butterflies

StumbleUpon: The Student Council

Slashdot: Band Camp

4Chan: The High School Drop Outs

YouTube: The Drama Club

**Update: I’ve been informed that I’ve left some people out. Here you go

Holypal: The Abstinence Club

Nexopia: Track and Field Team

del.icio.us Digg Facebook reddit SlashDot StumbleUpon

57 Responses to “How Social Networks are like High School”

  1. Mark Schoneveld Says:

    LOL - that’s awesome. Consider it Dugg. :)

  2. bitpakkit Says:

    Made my Friday - v. good :) Dugg too

  3. nick Says:

    Sadly, I don’t fit into any of those categories. :/

    We did have a men’s club at my high school though.. oddly enough. Not sure what that would fall under (and I probably don’t want to be associated with it now.. lol.)

  4. dm Says:

    @nick - looks like the post was updated. you might find a suitable group now ;-)

  5. Jenn Says:

    @Mark @bitpakkit…thanks!! Gotta keep it light on a friday!

  6. John Sheridan Says:

    Still laughing at this post. Absolutely brilliant. Linkedin = The Chess Club.

    Thanks for this!

  7. Tompkins818 Says:

    “I like it”

  8. ...srsly? Says:

    Now, this is a story all about how
    My life got flipped-turned upside down
    And I liked to take a minute
    Just sit right there
    I’ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air

    In west Philadelphia born and raised
    On the playground was where I spent most of my days
    Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool
    And all shootin’ some b-ball outside of the school
    When a couple of guys
    Who were up to no good
    Startin’ making trouble in my neighborhood
    I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
    She said ‘You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air’

    I begged and pleaded with her day after day
    But she packed my suite case and send me on my way
    She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket.
    I put my walkman on and said, ‘I might as well kick it’.

    First class, yo this is bad
    Drinking orange juice out of a champagne glass.
    Is this what the people of Bel-Air Living like?
    Hmmmmm this might be alright.

    But wait I hear they’re prissy, wine all that
    Is Bel-Air the type of place they send this cool cat?
    I don’t think so
    I’ll see when I get there
    I hope they’re prepared for the prince of Bel-Air

    Well, the plane landed and when I came out
    There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out
    I ain’t trying to get arrested
    I just got here
    I sprang with the quickness like lightening, disappeared

    I whistled for a cab and when it came near
    The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
    If anything I can say this cab is rare
    But I thought ‘Naw forget it’ - ‘Yo homes to Bel Air’

    I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
    And I yelled to the cabbie ‘Yo homes smell ya later’
    I looked at my kingdom
    I was finally there
    To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air

  9. Mike Says:

    XD Forgot Friendstar and Vampirefreaks.

  10. Allen L Says:

    dont forget http://www.deviantart.com/ for the art club/council :P

  11. Bloody Condom » Blog Archive » June 28 2008 Says:

    [...] How Social Bookmarking is like High School [...]

  12. itsalljustaride Says:

    I’d say LinkedIn is more like Forensics or Toastmasters.

    For that matter, who is FFA (Future Farmers of America)?

  13. Anonymous Says:

    Die in a fire, please.

  14. ken Says:

    I dont know…if this was meant as a joke then alright…but if you actually think this is accurate then you’re way off

  15. Amanda Says:

    @ ken
    Wow I think someone is just mad they got left out!!
    lol Totally accurate! Nice post. :)

  16. paresh Says:

    nice friendly group.

  17. Rick Astley Says:

    I think 4chan are the kids who bring their dad’s gun to school and shoot everyone. Drop-outs do not give them justice.

  18. Acire Says:

    theres no artists! although, I’m on facebook, youtube and stumbleupon. i see devientart has been mentioned. I guess I’m a throwback.

  19. Van Abe Ell Says:

    Vampirefreaks is for all the furries. So they don’t even deserve a mention. As for Friendster, it’s the yearbook committee.

  20. Anon Says:

    4chan ≠ High school drop outs :| more like the computer club or such like… all the /b/tards i know i are in college or out. Anon nevar forgets

  21. Coco Says:

    Great list! :) But… Where’s Friendster and Multiply? Haha.

  22. Dario Says:

    @ coco: what the hell is friendster? ;-)

  23. Freelance Web Design Says:

    Awesome! This totally cracked me up.. poor emo kid.

  24. Kortnee Says:

    Stumbled. Thumbs up, hilarious.

  25. Theo Says:

    I’d put 4chan not as the drop outs, but more of the ‘Alternative School’ guys.

    And do a barrel roll.

  26. jesseluna Says:

    I’m thinking LinkedIn is more like the Model UN group.

  27. Nameless Says:

    4chan is not a social networking site what is wrong with you

  28. truth. Says:

    hahah… SU and Slashdot hit it right on for me.

  29. NicolaiK Says:

    Thumbed up ;~)

  30. moot Says:

    I’m kind of offended at 4chan being called a “social network”

    aren’t we more of an “anti-social” network?

  31. lu/r9k/er Says:

    OY.

    THE GENTELMEN DO NOT TAKE KINDLY TO THIS HERESY.

    PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR RRRRRRRRRRAGE.

  32. anon Says:

    FAKE

    THIS IS SHOOPED.
    I can tell because of some of the pixels and because I have seen many shoops in my day.

  33. Babar| Says:

    Yeah, I love how I’m on most of those sites, except slashdot, and fall into the band camp category. great job with 4chan though, it sure is a social networking site. Never mind that most users choose to post anonymously.

  34. Anonymous Says:

    4chan is not a social network. Get the fuck out.

    This sucks.

  35. Anon e. Moose Says:

    deviantart is special ed. A couple geniuses in there, though.

    And don’t forget about rules 1 & 2!

  36. puff Says:

    @Van Abe Ell

    “Vampirefreaks is for all the furries. So they don’t even deserve a mention.”

    no. I believe that would be the Otherkin. I am in no way associated to vampires.

  37. links for 2008-07-03 at Ip’s. Says:

    [...] memelabs » How Social Networks are like High School “After having spent some time on all of these sites, we’ve made some general observations - they remind us of being in high school. Each site is like one of the cliques present in high schools everywhere. So for a bit of fun and slacking off while at wo (tags: comparison facebook socialnetworking web2.0 socialmedia) [...]

  38. sealy mattresses Says:

    This is a clever post. I love the emo poster.

  39. anon Says:

    @anon@anon@anon

    much sad is here, yes. and agreed - all the /b/tards i know are way more intelligent than dropouts - and i know a few of those too… the matches for this are not very good sry

  40. devilsfeather Says:

    You forgot teh vestibule.

    http://boards.ign.com/teh_vestibule/b5296/p1

  41. sean Says:

    I agree with everything except the Stumble one.

    Student council?

    Please……

  42. Kobra Says:

    Sounds about right.

  43. Vote for this article at blogengage.com Says:

    How Social Networks are like High School…

    Posted by Jenn Lowther and Nadia Nascimento Nadia and I spend tons of time on social networking sites. We’re on or have been on facebook, linkedin, twitter, youtube, plurk, myspace, friendster, adgabber, adrants, britekite, digg, reddit, fark, slashdo…

  44. Styyl Says:

    You forgot Lifehacker, which would be the school newpaper advice columnists.

  45. dom Says:

    i’m pretty sure rutgers isn’t a highschool.. good article tho

  46. » Jei socialiniai tinklai būtų vidurinėmis mokyklomis … blogeriai.lt Says:

    [...] Jei socialiniai tinklai būtų vidurinėmis mokyklomis :) http://memelabs.com/about/how-…..chool.html [...]

  47. Anon Says:

    Rules 1 & 2 have been broken.

  48. links for 2008-07-10 : A Girl And Her Blog Says:

    [...] memelabs » How Social Networks are like High School [...]

  49. Anonymous Says:

    Heh, Stumbled.

  50. Rick Says:

    We’re no strangers to love,
    You know the rules and so do I.
    A full commitment’s what I’m thinking of,
    You wouldnt get this from any other guy.

    I just wanna tell you how I’m feeling,
    Gotta make you understand…

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

    We’ve known each other for so long
    Your heart’s been aching
    But you’re too shy to say it.
    Inside we both know what’s been going on,
    We know the game and we’re gonna play it.

    Annnnnd if you ask me how I’m feeling,
    Don’t tell me you’re too blind to see…

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

    Give you up. give you up.
    Give you up, give you up.
    Never gonna give
    Never gonna give, give you up.
    Never gonna give
    Never gonna give, give you up.

    We’ve known each other for so long
    Your heart’s been aching
    But you’re too shy to say it.
    Inside we both know what’s been going on,
    We know the game and we’re gonna play it.

    I just wanna tell you how I’m feeling,
    Gotta make you understand…

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

    Never gonna give you up,
    Never gonna let you down,
    Never gonna run around and desert you.
    Never gonna make you cry,
    Never gonna say goodbye,
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

  51. chris Says:

    What about lastfm?!?!

  52. LGS Says:

    I StumbledUpon this.:-)

  53. Angie Says:

    Nice job guys. Funny and accurate.
    Thanks for “slacking off” and entertaining those of us that don’t have much slack time right now! Muah!

  54. roid Says:

    the guy in the front on the far left of the Abstinence Club looks like youtube celebrity idiot VenomFangX.

    Could it be him?

  55. nice guide Says:

    Which social groups build the social networking sites?

  56. bleep Says:

    Sadly, you forgot deviantART, and vampirefreaks.

    I don’t get all the furry remarks about Vampirefreaks..

    There are more ’scene’ kids on VF than furries. o_O

  57. minishaw Says:

    this is weird what group do i fall into when im a member of most of these sites =s

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