preview

Essay on Social Networking Sites

Decent Essays

Essay on Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites peaked the year 2007. These sites encouraged online social connections. Early sites such as SixDegrees.com and Friendster allowed people to manage a list of friends. One drawback to these sites was that they did not offer users the ability to publish content like blogs.

Social networking sites begin with a group of founders sending out messages to friends to join the network. In turn the friends send out messages to their friends, and the network grows. When members join the network, they create a profile. Depending on the site, users can customize their profile to reflect their interests. They also begin to have contact with friends, acquaintances, and strangers.

Founded in 2002, …show more content…

The Web site had become the giant among social networking sites. It was the most trafficked site on the Internet.

MySpace's influence traveled outside of the United States. The company built a local presence in over twenty international territories. MySpace could be found in places such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and Latin America. In a few short years, MySpace had become a worldwide cultural phenomenon.

SOCIAL NETWORKING BEYOND MYSPACE

The success of MySpace in the social networking arena spurred the development and redesign of many other online social networks. Some sites appealed to a general audience. Others, such as Black Planet, LinkedIn, and MyChurch, sought to serve a niche market.

Facebook was one site that emerged as an alternative to MySpace. In February 2004 Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook. The site began as a closed network for college students. Closed networks only allow users to join if they meet certain criteria. In contrast, sites such as MySpace and Friendster were open social networking sites. Anyone could sign up for an account.

Open and closed social networks have advantages and disadvantages. Open networks foster interaction between adults and teens. Parents can check up on their teen's profile and decide if they are comfortable with their child's online image. On the other hand, open access means that profiles are completely public and can attract unwanted attention.

Closed networks are generally

Get Access