What is a social networking Web site? It’s a fancy name for a Web site that allows users to set up an online profile about themselves and interact with other users on the site– becoming digital “friends” and sharing their lives. These online profiles often contain photographs or video of the person and their friends, as well as a list of their likes, dislikes and other personality traits. So, in a nutshell, social networking Web sites are about connecting with like-minded people who share similar interests. Social networking sites have exploded in popularity since 2002, driven mostly by the desire of teens and young adults to keep in touch with large groups of friends in a fun online space. Although there were early sites of this type in the late 90s, Friendster (www.friendster.com) is considered the first social networking site to get the formula right and attract large numbers of visitors. MySpace (www.myspace.com) soon followed and quickly became a household name synonymous with the new online trend. (For more on Friendster’s fall from grace, see tinyurl.com/y6og5c) Bebo (www.bebo.com) is the most popular social networking site in New Zealand right now. However, its reign may soon come to an end because MySpace has now launched a local version of its site. (Turn the page for details about MySpace New Zealand.)
HOW DO THEY WORK?
Social networking sites are a simple way for people with very little technical knowledge to create a personal space on the Web. You can design what is essentially a simplified Web site of your own– albeit with only one page, instead of the many linked pages we are used to seeing on typical Web sites. Importantly, these online profiles are easy for your average computer user to create and don’t require knowledge of Web programming languages. Unless you set your profile to ‘Private’, anyone trawling through the social networking site can view your page and leave you a message. If you choose,
you can respond to this person and accept them into your group of online ‘friends’. Some sites, such as MySpace, have Instant Messenger functions that allow you to chat to your new friends in real time.
AREN’T THEY JUST FOR KIDS?
Sure, social networking sites first appealed to an audience in its teens and early 20s. Youth are always early adopters of new technology and having a large social group is important to many young people because it gives them a sense of belonging and acceptance. But the older generation is now picking up on the possibilities of social networking sites in huge numbers. MySpace figures show that more than half its visitors are now over 35 years old and the demographic continues to get older. Various niche social networking sites have begun to spring up to meet the needs of specific groups. For example, Eons (www.eons.com) is a social networking site for over-50s that has experienced a surge in popularity recently. It caters to the interests of a more mature audience by including forums about health and longevity issues, an online book club called Bookaholics, and a section for those who enjoy hobbies and crafts like knitting and painting. It’s clear that Baby Boomers with a lot of spare time on their hands want to be just as socially active as the younger generation and are willing to use this new online medium to help.
WHY WOULD I FIND THEM USEFUL?
One of the main attractions of social networking sites is the freedom to use them as deeply or as shallowly as you wish. Some people love keeping in touch with old friends around the world by using the instant messenger, email and photo upload facilities. Others treat their page as a personal fanclub and try to attract new online friends by creating flashy – even garishly colourful and crammed – sites full of videos, pictures that move and outrageous statements about their life philosophy. Other people use these sites to find out about new bands, fashion labels, films and other artistic or cultural movements that interest them. If these options don’t appeal, you can just browse other people’s profiles and wonder at the sheer variety of humanity represented online. That’s the beauty of social networking sites; they can be many different things to many different people.
A FEW SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
• www.friendster.com – started the trend
• www.bebo.com – for teenagers
• www.myspace.co.nz – most popular worldwide
• www.facebook.com – for university students
• www.eons.com – for over-50s
• www.cleo.co.nz – CLEO magazine community
• www.flickr.com – photo sharing-focused
• www.livejournal.com – blog-focused
• www.orkut.com – Google’s social networking site
• www.reunion.com – friends and family locator
• www.wayn.com – for travellers
• www.comicspace.com – for comic fans
• www.socialise.biz – New Zealand start-up effort
• www.oldfriends.co.nz – Trade Me’s social networking site