Social Networking Sites

The top four social networking websites that I use on a daily basis include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

I use Facebook the most of the four because it has everything that I need on a daily basis. It allows me to stay connected with my friends and family through messenger and news feed and I am able to find entertainment on the platform from videos that I find on my news feed or receive from friends. Facebook is helpful in keeping me up to date with what my friends are up to, what events they are attending or interested in attending and when their birthdays are. Facebook also expanded its capabilities to have a marketplace and a section that is just dedicated to videos. You can also use Facebook to create groups, event pages, and pages for businesses. Because so many people are connected to Facebook, it is a great way to get the word out about new things/viral videos and it is easy to share those things with other people.

The first time I had ever used Twitter was for this class. Prior to, I've never had an account but have always seen tweets from here and there from celebrities and other famous people. Based on two interacts with Twitter, I have had a great impression of the platform because it is very easy to use and has a lot of capabilities. I especially enjoy the restriction of posts to 140 characters because then it requires people to get straight to the point and to be concise in what they want to say. It makes reading discussions of threads easier because there is a lot less text that people have to go through. Additionally, it is very helpful because the hashtag collects all relevant posts and pulls them to the same place. Aside from regular tweets, Twitter can also be used to share files/music/images/videos, raise money, lobby for reforms, screencast, etc.

YouTube is another great platform but for a different purpose. YouTube is a platform that allows people to showcase their creative capabilities and share things that they are passionate about. There are all kinds of YouTube videos that are available to watch - beauty videos, craft videos, cooking videos, music videos, game videos, blog videos, etc. I really appreciate YouTube because it has become a place for people to express themselves and the community on YouTube is super supportive. Everyone who is involved on the site is connected to one another and more recently companies are connecting with YouTubers as a way to spread the word about their projects and products because influencers on the site can have millions of subscribers, meaning they have a lot of leverage in getting the word out. People on YouTube are also considered to be more trustworthy because they are just regular people. I love using YouTube because sometimes it is nice to get a break from reading text and it also allows me to learn different things from people I've followed for years.

Finally, I have been using LinkedIn actively for approximately two years. This platform is a bit different because it is more for professional purposes. People on the platform are students, professionals, and corporate influencers. It is meant for people to stay connected with their professional contacts and stay updated on where they are in their professional careers. It is like a virtual cover letter for a lot of people where they record their education history and different work experiences. LinkedIn is also used to spread news and updates on different business/professional topics. People can react to these posts and share them as well. LinkedIn recently expanded its capabilities to allow for companies to post jobs for job-seekers. Recruiters have also been using the platform to search for qualified job candidates and directly reach out to them for an opportunity. LinkedIn is another one of my favorite platforms because it allows me to keep up with people on a more professional level.