Identity and Social Networking

Michael Wesch's video about the sociology of the YouTube community is very interesting. He presents YouTube as a means of expressing individuality. It can be recorded alone, but millions of people could potentially see it. This matters because it is a relatively new way of contributing to an online community. There are no parameters to how this is done, so the sky is the limit when it comes to personal expression. He points out that in our rapidly growing world, people need a way of standing out and shaping their identity.
Social Networking websites provide a way of expressing this identity, too. The "self" becomes what is on personal webpages like Myspace and Facebook. People list what makes them unique or what makes them who they are. People can stand out more online than they can in the real world sometimes, so it is important that the means exist for them to do so.
The same principle exists in the classroom. Students who are quiet or do not want to stand out, despite their intelligence, can do so online. They may be more active and expressive on a website like Ning, for example. These students might be more willing to communicate with the Ning leader at home rather than in class. If this is the case, students who's education suffered previously because they are an "outsider" will be more active with their work.
I have always known the implications of Facebook and the younger generation, but it is definitely a refresher on the emerging importance of social networking. As these websites gain more members every day, they will gain influence over daily life too. I look at Youtube differently with respect to how it impacts future social networking ideas.

There are many social networking websites out there. Facebook, Myspace and Youtube are all young in the grand scheme of things. How do you see social networking changing over the next few years? Will it always be a picture with a page? If you see it as being relatively unchanged, is that really a bad thing?

~MjG