In the early 2000s, Tom Anderson became renowned for the creation of a social media platform known as MySpace. It was closely tied in with the alternative music scene and other subcultures. It had about 100 million users at its peak. The site eventually died out in popularity after Anderson left the company in 2009, and other social media platforms such as Facebook
This particular site, however, has recently been recreated by a young German teenager known as An.
Although An was never personally exposed to MySpace itself, he chose to create this site, SpaceHey, in order to regain the look and feel of the original MySpace. He created it during the pandemic in order to bring about a sense of unity, but also to restore the sense of personalization and privacy that most social media platforms are missing.
Functions of the site include HTML, CSS customization, blogs, bulletins, layouts, pictures, and music.
An said via email message to Vice, "I was only a few years old when MySpace was popular. I never came to use MySpace. However, thanks to older friends and the internet, I heard a lot about it. I came to the conclusion that you can't find something like this nowadays, where everyone can be this creative."
Since SpaceHey's launching in November 2020, 55,000 users have come to use the site, and of these users, many have come forth with positive feedback, stating that SpaceHey is a "place of refuge" for those who are tired of the typical social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat
Other individuals utilize SpaceHey for different reasons, such as demonstrating personality, hobbies, and interests, and for connecting with others online. It is certainly a far cry from the sometimes toxic environment of platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
An is still tweaking the content of SpaceHey, but for now, he would like to keep biases such as algorithms and social extremism out of the picture. His purpose is to maintain the "sense of innocence" of the early internet days.
Although it is unclear as to whether or not SpaceHey will remain as competition for sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it will certainly keep individuals occupied and engaged in the benefits of this new and improved social platform during especially difficult times.
