Facebook now twice as big as MySpace? Oh boy

(Credit: ComScore)

The blogosphere's love affair with Facebook-MySpace traffic wars just won't stop.

On Thursday, TechCrunch posted new statistics from ComScore that show Facebook now pulling in nearly twice as many unique visitors worldwide as its News Corp.-owned competitor.

About 222 million people visited Facebook worldwide in December (keep in mind that the social network pegs its active user count somewhere just north of 150 million these days) versus 125 million people for MySpace.

This comes less than two weeks after other ComScore statistics indicated that not only was MySpace still bigger in the U.S., it was way ahead in page-view count and time spent on the site.

But worldwide, the new ComScore numbers indicate that Facebook has a bigger edge on page views.

I have a headache now.

MySpace offered a statement in response, and it's not denying that it's been eclipsed in traffic:

We are laser focused on building a sustainable global business which we measure by profits and revenue--not just eyeballs. In a tough economic climate, our international revenue is up 30 percent year over year and we continue to focus on those markets with the strong monetization opportunities.

Additionally, MySpace continues to dominate the U.S. market--where the bulk of online advertising revenues reside--both in terms of monetization and user engagement with more than 76 million unique users and a 40 percent spike in engagement year over year.

MySpace does have a point. With News Corp.'s media muscle behind it, not to mention a stronger foothold in the U.S. and a willingness to use splashier advertisements (i.e. "wrapping" the homepage), it's not too hard to see that MySpace probably still has a notable edge in the advertising race.

[nicmart]

MySpace has a huge lead as a showcase for neo-Nazis, bullying cheerleaders, and prospective serial killers. Two-thirds of analysts think this lead is sustainable and extensible.

[codynews]

Huh?

[dragonbite]

Facebook has been a great means of getting in touch with my mid+ 30s friends from High School, College and previous co-workers. I think they find themselves in Facebook instead of MySpace because MySpace comes across as more teeny-bopper orientated and frankly we're *gasp* older.

[gbwells]

yeah, i see more long-term potential for facebook as people from 30-50 begin to populate facebook more. i don't see that demographic moving into myspace the same way. the complete anarchy of myspace page design is off-putting, to say the least. facebook is far less damaging to the eye (and other senses) than myspace. i have a page on both, but i rarely look at the myspace pages other than to update my band site. it's just too garish.

[ducttape36]

i think the two will happily co exist. i agree with the commentors above that facebook appeals to a more mature demographic, but everyone knows that the 18-24 and teeny bopper demographic has the most expendable money. So while traffic may be up at facebook, i dont think monetarily they will ever be as big as myspace.

[Arrgster]

I'm 40 and can't stand facebook, way too conservative for me. I read an interesting article about the split between the two and it's relation to social differences. It basically found that the same type of split in physical life happens with social sites. A very general example is someone who prefers wine bars over a pub would probably prefer facebook over myspace.

I myself am still a bit of a music guy. I don't really want to get married, like the bachelor life and would prefer the pub or rock club over sitting at a wine bar. Unlike gbwells, I like the anarchy of myspace and this is an example of the differences in our basic nature.

I do use myspace to stay in touch with people and one of the aggravating things about two social sites is I'm loosing some of them to facebook. So, do I join it so I can still communicate with these people or write them off? I don't really want to have two sites but the pressure is on. It reminds me of instant messaging. Everyone is using a different one AOL, ICQ, GMAIL.. and I think it hampers IM in a way. I have a feeling in the future more social sites will appear and things will continue to break down with that as well.

[Zeeshan47]

People do not have 100k+ friends in an anarchic state. Just saying.
If you really hold the option of losing friends because they use another site is silly. You're putting your stubbornness over your friends, which goes to show how much you value them. Oh and the IM situation has been resolved. I use Pidgin, and there are other programs such as Trillian that aggregate all of your accounts across multiple messengers. Get with the program old man.

[salsgals]

/where are all my facebook friends,Laura we are having a dinner party tonight and udsing that yunny bacon cheese dip you gave uys a while bask...................thank so much.....that makes it easy!
Pray for warmer weather,I am going rememer you now when we need a fourth
Have a agood day,MM will belooking for you for a little loving
xoxoxo

[Inconnux]

Damn I hate facebook. I deleted my account after their redesigned 'abortion' interface. Hated it. They should have given us an option to keep the old style.

[LuvThatCO2]

I dont even bother visiting MySpace pages anymore. The problem is they let their users 'customize' their pages. But most people are simply not equipped to make such decisions. The end result is that nearly every myspace page you go to is unreadable with background images obscuring text, blaring music that I dont want to hear, and awful font color choices.

Facebook doesnt allow for that, which makes their pages that much more readable. And, dare I say, professional looking. Meaning 'old' folks like me would use it.

[loose_screw]

I guess I'm not surprised. I find facebook much more useful than myspace in terms of staying connected and up to date with friends and relatives. I can't stand to look at myspace with its horrid designs that people come up with.

[jimmyhoops]

I don't care about fonts, visuals or music...but I do care about connecting with old friends. I like the fact that Facebook is more of a reunion site than a meat market. I've never been attracted to MySpace and frankly couldn't waste my time...but Facebook is great...afterall, true lifetime friendships are about substance and not about flash and FB represents that fundamental aspect to me.

[Tactickz]

I like facebook better because the original requirement to join it was an affiliation to college or university. Even though they removed it, facebook seems to have far less idiotic members than myspace does. You can't log on myspace without finding NaMeS tYpEd LIkE ThIS, blinding wallpapers, crap music, and shirtless photos in front of mirrors.

[WallyChamp]

myspace has been destroyed by anything commercial as in girls, music, stores... etc. its no longer personal so it drove me away

[google003]

I love facebook, but wish it had more customizable options.
Like putting music on your profile!

[loose_screw]

I'm glad it doesn't. I don't want to go to someone's profile and have annoying music blaring at me.

[fooldog01]

I totally respect your wish to have music on your profile but I for one couldn't stand that about Myspace. Maybe I am the only one...

[sweaty_taco]

I agree with the other two. I cant stand going on MS and having some crappy band blaring in my ears at 90db.

[rttlin]

MYSPACE IS DEAD. PERIOD.

[fooldog01]

I left myspace because its a joke. Facebook is a significantly better tool for anyone who isnt just a creep.

[Don Key]

Myspace is for teenagers and Facebook is for adults.

[cbaisa]

myspace is for stalkers and annoying mp3 tracks

[WalterM24]

Take a look at mypepo.com - It is an Open Source Social site using state of the art blogging platform WordPress. Currently in Beta and far from what they claim it will be but it looks and acts like nothing you've seen before.

I really see a potential here and a threat to MySpace 'Out of Control' and Facebook 'Biggest seller of your Privacy'.

[AlexBerish]

Facebook gets more unique visitors? So what.
I've "visited" facebook, so my visit was counted, but like all of the other people in my city, I only "visited" Facebook to see if it was any good.
And it was not.

I'm so tired of seeing terrible studies like this.
Just yesterday I saw one saying "Video games equal lesser quality social lives"
OH REALLY!?!?!? Oh my God thanks for the breaking news, I'll assume that drawing, painting, listening to music, watching movies, and using the internet don't equal lesser quality social lives as well?

The only way anyone is going to accept this data is when a study of returning visitors (users that frequently log in to their accounts) is conducted.
Then we'll see who is really on top.

Over here in the U.S. the only people that use facebook are the people that are shying away from the cheerleaders and jocks, guess that means Facebook is the place to go if you're not popular?
Or maybe if you have a "lesser quality social life."

[screwhead1000]

AlexBerish i couldnt agree more, & i find that people who tend to stray from myspace to facebook dont have a body to show off & only have 10 to 15 real friends anyway.........

i'd shift to facebook all the way if they took off the friend limit & you could customize yur page