Does MySpace Clone SpaceHey Signal Facebook's Downfall?
The early 2000s aren't just trending in fashion. It appears the decade has become an object of full-fledged cultural fascination.
A website recreating the look of MySpace in the early aughts passed the 200,000 user mark on November 11, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Dubbed SpaceHey, the site was created in 2020 by an 18-year-old German coder (who, it's worth noting, was hardly a toddler during MySpace's heyday).
MySpace is still up and running, but the platform has a markedly different feel than it did circa 2005, the peak of its reign as everyone's favorite social networking platform. SpaceHey resurrects the site's sparse graphics and barebones features — no algorithmic newsfeeds, targeted advertisements, or location tracking here.
In fact, SpaceHey boasts that all posts are shown in chronological order (just like the early days of Instagram). "There is no suggested content begging for your attention," it brags.
SpaceHey's newfound popularity comes shortly after Mark Zuckerberg was largely panned for renaming Facebook "Meta," a thinly veiled attempt to distract from the company's recent controversies.
It's no secret that Facebook has been plagued by privacy concerns, as well as criticism for its hand in spreading misinformation.
As users tire of Zuckerberg's antics, SpaceHey poses an attractive alternative. Billed as a "retro social network focused on privacy and customizability," the site is basically the antithesis of Facebook.
Nostalgia is a powerful phenomenon, and I even I have to admit that returning to the days of Top 8 Friends and Tom is enticing.
Who knows what artifact of the early aughts will return en vogue next, joining the comeback of low-rise jeans and belly chains. MP3 players? Sidekicks? It's anyone's guess.
