The Growing Paraphernalia of Social Networking

"Online social networking has proven to be, a global phenomenon bringing people together and creating new type of media and communication networks".

Social networking is a fast growing mode of communication which keeps the people connected with a network of friends. It is a convenient way of using network of online friends and group memberships to keep in touch with current friends, reconnect with old friends or create real–life friendships. Social networking enables people of similar interests and tastes to come together on the same platform and share their views. It helps establish important social relationships and expand the network of friends.

There are various types of Social networking sites available these days which offer free life time membership. Some of these sites are specifically related to a particular field. For eg there are many sites which cater to the interests of book lovers, shopping, pets, movies, education, etc. Then there are some others that are suitable for all age groups and are visited by different people, coming from varying backgrounds. Members can join groups and forums. Some networking sites also help members find a job or establish business contacts.

Most social networking websites offer various features like creating a profile page, blogs , forums, uploading and sharing videos, photos and music files. Members can express themselves by designing their profile page to reflect their personality. Most of the sites which provide some extra features to their customers are always more popular among the visitors and drive traffic towards themselves.

But these days the trend is shifting towards mobile social networking. Nowadays people do not have the time to sit at one place and socialize through the web. The time constraint always comes as the biggest barrier. Moreover everytime web access is not possible and everybody is not computer savvy, especially the older age group. In that case mobile phone is the best option to remain connected with the world.

These days people prefer to communicate through their mobile phones whether it is a phone call, sending a text message, listening to music or accessing emails. Moreover users of mobile phone have also started looking for social networking on their handsets. There are certain social networking sites available that offer web and mobile access. For example Myspace.com a popular networking site in US collaborated with RIM to enable social networking features accessible on Blackberry.

There are many other users who have a basic mobile handset with limited features but want to benefit from the networking features. Keeping in mind the need of all kinds of users like college students and mobile professionals various companies have launched web & mobile portal that allow all social networking features accessible on mobile and Web. Amongst such websites the most popular are the sites by yahoo, Byanks and many others.

These mobile portals allow mobile email access , Chat and sharing of videos and photos on ordinary mobile phones. Isn’t it great ? Some of these offer customized services that appeal to the people belonging to varying age levels and allow members to empower their self-expression and communications with friends, and extend the experience beyond web to mobile phones

Social networking sites also allow you to join groups and make communities where you can Chat, share your views, write blogs and ask or reply questions . The music and video sections are the heart and soul of ant social networking site. Members can read bios of their favorite music artists from the artist's profile page as well as listen to their favorite songs and watch music videos. The video section can include everything from member–generated videos from hundreds of subjects to TV clips and movie trailers.

Social networking sites are meant for people of all ages and backgrounds where they can enrich their lives through the contacts they make through social networking. It’s like their own Internet sanctuary, a place where they can express their thoughts and feelings, post photographs and show off their network of friends. The object of these sites is to find friends and expand relationships allowing members to search for other members in a safe and easy to use Web based or Mobile environment.