Submitted by Judith Siers-Poisson on
94 million registered users – many in their teens and 20s – use MySpace.Com as a way to connect with others with similar interests. The U.S. Marine Corps is hoping to tap into that pool of potential recruits through its own MySpace profile. According to Gunnery Sgt. Brian Lancioni, it’s “definitely the new wave. Everything's technical with these kids, and the Internet is a great way to show what the Marine Corps has to offer.” Louise Eaton, media and Web chief for the U.S. Army Accession Command agrees. “It is where prospects are. We go to where they are to try to inform them of the opportunities we offer.” Fortunately, the Marine Corps has stated that they won’t actually enlist anyone directly through the MySpace site – they will meet the potential recruits in person first. The approach has its critics. Steve Morse with the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors stated “It's kind of obnoxious of them to be using something that's sort of like a youth domain, to kind of come in and really sucker youth into something they're not really explaining fully.”
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MediaSentinel replied on Permalink
Cheap Shot
This is a cheap shot at the Marine Corps and unworthy of this site and the Center for Media and Democracy.
First of all, the Corps has to compete for talent just like any other organization...why shouldn't they use culturally relevant technology? When I joined 30 years ago I first got a card in the mail. Things are different now.
Second, saying "Fortunately, the Marine Corps has stated that they won’t actually enlist anyone directly through the MySpace site" is a throw-away line and absurd on its face. No one joins any arm of the service without a battery of tests, a physical, and interviews. An actual enlistment contact must be signed, and it is gone over in detail with the potential recruit. And as I recall, the parents are always consulted in person when a recruit is below a certain age.
Third, no one who joins the military these days -- and who has his or her faculties -- can possibly be unaware that they face the very real prospect of combat, terrible injury and/or death. Anyone who IS unaware of this is either culpably ignorant, or simply too stupid to pass the tests.
The undelying sentiment here, unspoken but implied, seems to be that young people are suckered by the "atmosphere" of myspace.com into joining and then sent off to Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., by the Corps.
That's not the case. If and when they are sent off to war -- in this case an unnecessary and disastrous war of choice -- it is by the civilian leadership of this country.
Don't blame the Marine Corps, one of the finest organizations on earth, for using this technology to recruit. If that is indeed your theme, take it up with Messrs. Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Ms. Rice, and the cabal of neocons who launched and are pursuing this diaster.
LacusOdii replied on Permalink
Gimme a Break
Everyone's got a Myspace account nowadays. If you want to advertize, you go to where the people are. It's not like they have a poll "click here to become a marine 4 life: yes X no 0"