Anti-Social Networks for Outcasts

If Gen Y Traditionalists, the popular, mainstream, pop culture addicts, are into signing up for social networks that grow their friend base from 5 to 500 over night, and Gen Y Mainstream Rebellers, the punk rock, popular anti-pop culture followers, use MySpace to promote their bands and underground culture, what social networks are the Outcasts and Rebellion Leaders clinging to? Anti-Social networks.

With the launch of the invite only social network from Google and Nike, Joga, gearing for the Traditionalist Leaders segment of Generation Y, and USANetworks' "Show Us Your Character" network and online promotion targeting a wide audience of Generation Y, Sony's upcoming launch of the PS3 allowing video game players to communicate via text, voice chat and create friends list target the Mainstream Rebellers, the niche market for reaching the Rebellion Leaders within Generation Y has opened and Nemester, Snubster, and Isolatr have stepped up to fill the void with their Beta versions of the ideal "anti-social network."

The description on Nemester's Web site proclaims, "Nemester is an online community that connects paranoids, egotists, villains, and monomaniacs through networks of competing agendas and incompatable ideologies for bitter conflicts, mutual loathing, or to find their one, true nemesis." A testimonial on the Isoltr site claims, "People always used to approach me to try and talk about this or that. I wanted to punch them in the throat. Now they leave me the hell alone. Thanks isolatr!" Snubster is an "anti-social network" allowing users to place people, places, things, etc. on an "On Notice" list and send them an anonymous email notifying them of their placement. If they are still found annoying or create another 'infraction' they may then move from the "On Notice" list over to "Dead To Me List" where they may only be removed manually.

While these humorous concepts may never go live for public consumption, the idea of the anti-social network demonstrates the fact while millions of Gen Yers may be logging on and adding friends across the globe, marketers still need to conduct their research before jumping on the social network bandwagon. Social networks aren't for every segment of Generation Y and each social network tends to attract a different youth market. MySpace is commonly known as the "band" or "music" promotion outlet while the Facebook reaches an average college or high school student Gen Y Traditionalist.

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