MYSPACE GENERATION HAVE THEIR SAY ON WORLD YOUTH DAY
[STRICTLY UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 12.01AM, MONDAY 14th JULY 2007] On the eve of World
Youth Day, Australian youth have categorically spoken out against the Catholic Church in a new
survey conducted on MySpace.com. Perhaps the most damning finding was that the overwhelming
majority [77%] felt the church was out of touch with youth.
The survey which ran for ten days asked users between 14 and 24 years of age a range of questions
on topics relating to World Youth Day utilising MySpace’s communication tools including forums,
blogs, email, instant messenger (IM), bulletins and comments.
In relation to World Youth Day:
For non Catholics and non Christian youth, 65% said World Youth Day was not relevant to them
at all.
53% of Australian youth feel they can’t get involved in World Youth Day “because of the
Churches' stance on sexuality.”
In relation to the Church’s teachings:
A massive 89% of Australian youth rejects the idea that they should remain a virgin until they get
married.
Contraception overwhelmingly had major support [61%] over abstinence as a way of preventing
“sexual disease and reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy”.
More than 28% of Australian youth had sex before the legal age of consent.
According to Nielsen Online, Netview, in May 2008, there were 2.6 million
[1]
Australians visiting
MySpace, and 1.14 million of these visitors fell within the youth category, being aged between 12-24
years.
“With over one million young Australians on MySpace each month, we can legitimately say that
MySpace is the voice of the youth. Technology, and in particular the MySpace social networking
platform has given all Australians the opportunity to connect and share ideas across a range of topics
utilising a range of tools including forums, blogs, email, instant messenger (IM), bulletins and
comments,” said Rebekah Horne, Vice President, MySpace.com, Australia & New Zealand.
MySpace connects people both locally and globally from all
walks of life, it also allows Australians to discover content
that is both informative and entertaining as well as culture spanning fashion to comedy to politics.
[ends]
MySpace Generation speaks out [quotes taken verbatim from MySpace user comments]
“Sure, have the 'day', just make sure you call it World Catholic Youth Day, and don't waste so much
money on a stupid event that could be much better spent elsewhere. I think it's stupid that so much
money has been spent on something religious when the state and religion are supposed to be
separated.” [Kelsey-Lee, QLD]
“AUSTRALIA IS SO LUCKY TO BE HOSTING WYD, besides in a world of so much pain what is so
wrong with having a bit of God’s love.” [Ross, 17, NSW]
“There are extremely thoughtful people in this world who have no interest in religion what so ever. I
am going to Tanzania, Africa next year to volunteer teach in local schools. I want to do it not because
Christ is in my heart but because I know what’s right and what’s wrong, I THINK FOR MYSELF.”
[Melliecopter, 17, Newcastle]
“Yes, the government is footing the bill for a lot of the stuff, but only because of the influx of revenue
this will bring to its coffers through tourism and all the other related industries. You talk only about
what it will cost, not what it will generate financially..!” [Cez, 26, NSW]
For more information or an interview with a MySpace spokesperson please contact:
Darain Faraz – PR Manager, MySpace.com
email: dfaraz@myspace.com
phone: 02 9288 7286 or mobile: 0424 246 484
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc. is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular
culture, and making a positive impact on the world. MySpace has created a connected global community by integrating web
profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups,
college communities, and member forums. MySpace's international network includes more than 20 localized community sites in
the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, India, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand. Fox Interactive
Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS - News, NWS.A - News; ASX:NWS - News, NWSLV - News).
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