Social Networking Sites

Social Networking

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, and MySpace provide a limited but public platform designed for users to create a “profile.” Each of these services has its key demographic. Its vast selection of features made it attractive to this demographic at first, but eventually it was overrun with commercial marketing such as advertisements, leading many users to abandon the service. (Understanding Media and Culture n.d.) People have always been searching for ways to connect and network with each other. And, in this age of digitization, people have found ways to be socially active on the internet, which is possible with the creation of the numerous social networking platforms and apps.

Most Known Social Networking Sites (Spencer 2017)

1. Facebook - This is easily the biggest social networking site in the world and one of the most widely used. It was possibly the first that surpassed the landmark of 1 billion user accounts.
2. WhatsApp - It reached on the scene much later than Facebook, but has been capable to capture the imagination of millions of people around the world by giving them the ability to communicate and share instantly with individuals and groups.
3. Tumblr - Tumblr serves as a social media with micro-blogging platform that can be used to find and follow things that you like. You may also use it to post anything, together with multimedia, to a short-form blog.
4. Instagram - Instagram was launched as an exceptional social networking platform that was completely built for sharing photos and videos. This photo sharing social networking app thus allows you to capture the best moments of your life, with your phone’s camera or any other camera, and transform them into works of art.
5. Twitter - This social networking site enables you to post short text messages which are called tweets, containing a limited number of characters, to convey your message to the world.
6. Skype – Skype is owned by Microsoft, and it is one of the most popular communication-based social networking platforms. It enables you to connect with people through voice calls, video calls (with the use of a webcam) and text messaging. You can even conduct group conference calls.
7. Viber – Viber is a multi-lingual social platform, which is available in more than 30 languages. It is known for its instant text messaging and voice messaging capabilities. You can also share photos and videos and audio messages through viber.
8. Snapchat - This is an image messaging social platform that allows you to chat with your friends by using pictures.
9. Pinterest - Pinterest is a photo sharing and visual bookmarking social media site or app that allows you to find new ideas for your plans and save them.
10. Youtube - YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing social networking site that enables users to upload and share videos, view them, comment on them and like them.

Blogs

Blogs began as an online, public form of a diary or journal. Short for “web logs,” these personal sites give people a platform to write about anything they want to.

Going Viral

According to Urban Dictionary, something that “goes viral” is an image, video, or link that spreads rapidly through a population by being frequently shared with a number of individuals. In 2009, Susan Boyle, an unemployed middle-aged Scottish woman, performed on Britain’s Got Talent and sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Misérables, becoming an international star almost overnight. Having a video go viral is promotion that marketers desire to buy. Unfortunately, the very nature of going viral means that you can't predict what will go viral and you can't just make it happen.

References

1. Spencer. (2017). 60+ SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IN 2018. Retrieved: January 13, 2018 from: https://makeawebsitehub.com/social-media-sites/ University of Minnesota Libraries. (n.d.).

2. Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication Retrieved: January 13, 2018 from: http://open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/11-3-social-media-and-web-2-0/