MTV Announces New Social(ly Conscious) Network

Do you recall, several seasons back, MTV trying to break into the music retail online to combat (or follow, however you?d like to put it) iTunes and its steadily growing domination over the market? It made the attempt with Urge, a Windows Media Player-based outlet. As Viacom, the owner of MTV, discovered rather quickly, however, it never quite made much of a name for itself, despite a hefty publicity push. (It is now residing in merger with Real Networks' Rhapsody.)

Well, MTV is working for another shot at an extended time in the spotlight on the Web, this time in the social networking department. The debut is being called ThinkMTV, and I wholeheartedly wish the service the absolute best in its efforts in getting to where it wants to be. Why do I want this particular debut to succeed? Simple. Its focus is one of social awareness on the humanitarian front.

ThinkMTV is built with the purpose of connecting youth activists together to interact both online and offline. The philanthropic and humanitarian causes to be championed by its members will range from environmental problems to health issues; global epidemics like HIV/AIDS, for example.

Why has this particular website come to fruition? Well, the idea came about as a result of a study done by MTV in 2006, ?Just Cause?, in which surveyed youth overwhelmingly (80%) highlighted social issues as important, yet just 20% of proponents of the do-gooder mentality were said to be actively involved in any number of those issues mentioned. ThinkMTV was assembled in order to close that participation gap.

There?s ample reason to consider ThinkMTV as more than a fleeting invention, something that?ll stick around a good deal longer than the company?s flub in the digital music download sector. For one, it has a series of founding partners going into launch phase that many will quickly recognize: The Case Foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Goldhirsh Foundation, and The MCJ Foundation. And it also has quite a few actor/musician/celebrity faces to show it off, including John Mayer, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the ever-socially-conscious-and-impactful Bono of U2 fame and glory.

But only time will tell whether the initial publicity push will be enough to get ThinkMTV?s membership well past the multi-million mark, where it will need to be to remain relevant, both from a popularity standpoint as well as a financial one. I?m unsure of whether this venture is for profit or not, but regardless, it?s going to need to sustain itself, and only a critical mass of users will allow it to do so.

Here?s to hoping ThinkMTV gets to where it wants ? and needs ? to be.