Social network

Updated: 04/09/2024 by Computer Hope
Social network

Alternatively known as a virtual community or profile site, a social network is a website that brings people together to talk, share ideas and interests, or make new friends. This type of collaboration and sharing is known as social media. Unlike traditional media, created by no more than ten people, social media sites contain content created by hundreds or millions of different people. Below is a small list of social networks used today.

Note

Social media was featured as a top term of 2007.

Examples of social networks

  • BeReal ( https://bereal.com ) - The first social network that helps show the real you by randomly prompting you to get real and post a photo of what you're doing at that random time.
  • Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/ ) - A free, federated, social microblogging service with a lot of similarities to X (formerly Twitter).
  • Classmates ( https://www.classmates.com ) - One of the largest websites for connecting high school friends and keeping in touch with them and future reunions.
  • DeviantArt ( https://www.deviantart.com ) - A social media platform for sharing original artwork.
  • Discord ( https://discord.com/ ) - A community chat services for connecting and hanging out with friends.
  • Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com ) - The most popular social networking website on the Internet. Facebook is a popular destination for users to set up personal space and connect with friends, share pictures, share movies, talk about what you're doing, etc.
  • Friendster - One of the first social networking sites, closed in June 2015.
  • Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com ) - A mobile photo-sharing service and application for iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.
  • LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com ) - One of the best, if not the best, locations to connect with current and past coworkers and potential future employers.
  • Mastodon ( https://joinmastodon.org ) - A free, federated, social microblogging service with over two million users. Any Mastodon user can operate a node (social subdomain) with its own theme and rules.
  • Mix ( https://mix.com ) - Another popular community of Internet users who vote for web pages they like and dislike. Mix also allows users to create personal pages of interesting sites.
  • MySpace ( https://myspace.com ) - Once one of the most popular social networks and viewed website on the Internet.
  • Pinterest ( https://www.pinterest.com ) - A popular picture and sharing service that allows anyone to share pictures, create collections, and more.
  • Reddit ( https://www.reddit.com ) - A community of registered users (redditors) submits content that is upvoted by the community. Reddit has a subreddit (board) for almost every category.
  • Snapchat - A smartphone app that focuses on portrait photos and videos that disappear after being received.
  • Threads - An Instagram connected social network introduced on July 5, 2023, that allows users to communicate with text, similar to X.
  • Tumblr ( https://www.tumblr.com ) - A microblogging platform with social networking capabilities.
  • Weibo ( http://weibo.com/ ) - Chinese microblogging website and one of the biggest social media platforms used in China.
  • X ( https://twitter.com ) - Formerly named Twitter, another social network platform that allows users to post short posts from their phones and on the Internet.
  • Yik Yak - Smartphone social network that connects users who are physically close to each other.
  • YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com ) - An excellent network of users posting video blogs or vlogs and other fun and exciting videos.
Warning

Due to their increased popularity amongst children and teenagers, some social networking sites have become popular locations for online predators. Parents should always be active with their children and aware of what they are doing while online.

Why do people use social networks?

Social networks help people stay connected with friends and family and find what everyone is doing. Social networks can also be used to find interesting things on the Internet, as your friends and family likely share many of your interests.

What was the first social media website?

The Bolt.com social networking website was created in 1996 by Jane Mount and Dan Pelson. Although it is not considered the first true social media website, it technically was the first to be created. It was officially shut down in October 2008.

The first true social media website is considered to be SixDegrees.com, created in 1997 by Andrew Weinreich. SixDegrees.com is still in operation today and is available at http://sixdegrees.com.

Today, Facebook is still the largest and most popular social network, with over one billion users.

How do I create an account on a social network?

Creating a new account for a social network differs for each social network. In general, visit the social network website where you want an account and look for a "Sign Up" or "Create New Account" link.

Follow the account creation steps to create your new account. You will likely need to provide your name, age range, and e-mail address at a minimum. Additional information may be required, depending on the requirements of the social network.

What social networks does Computer Hope use?

We have a presence on the following social network pages.

Blog, Classmates, Cloud computing, Copypasta, Discord, Doomscrolling, FOMO, Forum, Friend request, GroupMe, Influencer, Internet terms, Klout, Poe's law, Profile, SEO terms, Social audio, Social bookmarking, Vlog, Web design terms