When I first discovered the popular web community MySpace.com, I became immersed in the hemisphere of online social networking, like the thousands of other Americans who are somewhere right now writing their blogs in their pajamas or replying to idle messages from complete strangers.

Although I never wrote a lot of inquisitive blogs, I spent hours last semester in the MySpace sphere corresponding fervently to strangers and friends.

I still do squander some of my free time on campus and at home typing long pointless messages to a group of colleagues and fellow MySpace users, but not to the extent as before.

I cut back from MySpace last semester after I thought about it introspectively.

I realized a number of things that gave me reasons to stray from the library computer commons and my own personal computer.

In between writing some frivolous messages and reading an assortment of blogs, I became aware that what I was doing was really not very constructive, and I was missing out on things that were more important to me.

For I had taken time away from my more meaningful pastimes, such as reading, studying and visiting with the living, all in the name of senseless MySpace messaging.

I was, and still am, appalled that I allowed myself to be influenced by what some social theorists call “The Distraction Culture,” which commonly refers to the civic disengagement brought on by electonic devices such as television and video game systems.

Aside from realizing I had fallen into a trap that is often associated with my MTV generation, and had wasted precious time engaged online, I came to a point where I was simply dissatisfied with MySpace.

Near the end of my steady online activity, I would often catch myself rolling my eyes when I was confronted with an absurd profile or outlandish photograph.

Although I did observe a strong percentage of well-adjusted individuals, and still do, with thought-provoking blogs, the perverts, flakes and lunatics run rampant in the Web community, and are far too common to spend a serious amount of time on MySpace.

I am aware that someone might argue that the real world has its fair share of social misfits, but mind you, Myspace represents itself as “a place for friends.”

After becoming acquainted with the popular online “place for friends,” I’d rather take my chances in the offline social circuit of real life devoid of leering photographs and vain and thoughtless personal statements.