Myspace: A Place to Find Old Friends (And Why You're Not Too Old to Join)

It seems that everyday there is yet another negative news story about the phenomenally popular website known as MySpace. Whether it's a fifteen-year-old getting molested by someone he or she found on the site, or an employee getting fired for comments posted on a personal profile, MySpace affects lives in a way that most websites cannot.

Despite what the negative publicity might suggest MySpace can be an invaluable site when used sensibly. This is true for users of all ages. While many individuals in their late twenties, thirties, forties and beyond believe MySpace is nothing more than a frivolous site for high school or college students, the site can also benefit adults seeking something more.

While high school and college students might typically use MySpace to hook up with other members or post photos of the latest frat party, many older users have come to realize that MySpace is an invaluable method in tracking down long lost acquaintances. Childhood friends, college roommates, high school pals and first loves might all have MySpace profiles just waiting to be discovered.

MySpace offers many ways to search for old friends. Users can simply type a pal’s first and last name in the “Find a Friend” box and see if their friend is a member. If there are too many people with the same name he or she may narrow the search by focusing on a specific geographic area. If it’s old classmates an individual is seeking, no problem, he or she may simply use the “Classmate Finder” tool to find other users who went to the same school. There are filters to narrow the search by years of attendance or years of graduation and still others that find members by clubs, majors, Greek affiliations and more. All it takes is a little patience and a little time for a user to find a friend or family member he or she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years, and never expected hear from again.

Unlike sites like classmates.com or reunion.com that charge a fee to get in touch with old friends, it’s quick and easy to sign up for MySpace and best of all, it’s free. It’s free to register, free to search, free to send messages or post comments. Every feature of the site is 100% free. MySpace currently boasts approximately 50 million users, with people of all ages signing up daily. While it’s true that most members are at the lower end of the age spectrum, it’s not uncommon to find users in their forties, fifties and beyond.

So to all those people who think they are too old or too mature for MySpace, why not give it try? You might be surprised, and thrilled, at who you find.