Social networking has grown to become one of the largest and most influential components of the web, but despite how prevalent it is in the Western world (especially among the younger crowd), not everyone uses it or understands it.
The open-ended nature of social networks may only add to the confusion. Once signed into a social network, having answered a few basic profile questions, it’s easy to sit back and wonder what you are supposed to do next.
Social Networks: A Simple Understanding
Perhaps the easiest way to understand social networking is to think of it like high school. You had friends in school and you knew quite a few people even if you weren’t friends with all of them, but it’s likely that you didn’t know everyone.
If you ever moved to a new school, or if you can imagine moving to a new school, you start out with no friends. After attending classes, you start meeting people, and as you meet them, you begin associating with those that have similar interests.
Getting started with social networking is much the same as starting a new school. At first, you don’t have any friends, but as you join groups and begin meeting new people, you build a friend list of those with similar interests.
Attending a job fair to learn more about businesses in your area, is also a form of social networking. You may have heard that social networking is important in finding a job.
This is true in that knowing people (social) and communicating with them (networking) can help you land a job possibly easier than someone who isn’t going down that route.
In the context of the internet, this is what social networking is, except online.
Social networking is based on a certain structure that allows people to both express their individuality and meet people with similar interests.
Below are a few common components found in most social networking websites.
A Public Profile
This is your own little piece of digital real estate where you tell the world about yourself. Profiles contain basic information like a photo (usually of yourself), short bio, location, website, and sometimes questions that can describe your personality (e.g. your favorite actor or book).
Social networks dedicated to a special theme like music or movies might ask questions related to that theme. In this way, dating websites can be seen as social networking websites because they network you with other people who are looking for the same things you are.
Source: Life Wire
