I know that MySpace exists. The question is really, is it still a widely used social media site? In “White Flight in Networked Publics? How Race and Class Shaped American Teen Engagement with MySpace and Facebook” by Danah Boyd, Boyd references the differences in how teens perceive MySpace and Facebook, and the racial gaps that exist between the two social media sites. While the book was published in 2011, Boyd references the 2006-2007 school year. A lot can change in 5 years. It seems to me that everyone has moved to Facebook. I think I can only name one person who I know who does not have a Facebook. Even my 89-year-old grandfather has a Facebook.
I work in a first grade classroom (my daughter attends a parent participation school), and the argument that the old thing (MySpace) is inferior and the new thing (Facebook) is much better (even though in reality they are almost the same thing) is something I see all the time. There is nothing new about this phenomenon. It has been happening in the schoolyard for years. Is it really a surprise that kids are trying to use technology to set themselves apart from each other? To me, the better question is why kids are still segregating into racial groups, then what tools they are using to do that.
It has been a while since I went to high school, but I do not remember there being such a distinct grouping of races (with the exception of non-native English speakers). Perhaps that is because I grew up in the bay area. Overall, I did not find this article relevant or intriguing. The anecdotal evidence from teenagers is not extremely convincing, and I would have much rather read a paper on why these groupings exist and not how they differentiate each other, but maybe that is just me.
I also went to high school in the Bay Area, and in my high school experience that where was often a grouping that was defined by race. This was not the at all the rule, but there were groups, particularly of Asian students or of Black students who were rather exclusive. However, I do not think that whether or not these groups were on Facebook or MySpace really entered into their judgement on grouping.