A social network allows you to share content with millions of users.
Social network is a concept that is formed by two clearly differentiated terms. Network , which comes from the Latin rete , refers to the structure that has a characteristic pattern . This definition allows the notion to be applied in various fields, such as computing (where a network is a set of interconnected computers that share information ).
Social , on the other hand, is that which belongs to or relates to society (the group of individuals who interact with each other to form a community). Social usually implies a sense of belonging.
The notion of social network is therefore linked to the structure where a group of people maintain some kind of bond . These relationships can be friendly, sexual, commercial or of another nature. For example: «The village social network worked perfectly to channel solidarity with the victims of the flood» , «The family is the basis of any social network» .
Current meaning of the concept of social network
The concept, however, has been updated in recent years to refer to a type of Internet site that encourages the creation of virtual communities , in which it is possible to access services that allow users to create groups based on their interests, sharing photographs, videos and general information.
The most popular social network today is Facebook , which has more than 2.9 billion users exchanging messages and computer files. Other famous social networks are Instagram , TikTok and Snapchat .
It is possible to find social networks on the Internet that specialize in certain sectors or that aim to attract a specific group of users. LinkedIn , for example, brings together professionals and tries to encourage business and job mobility, giving rise to the emergence of niche communities.
A social network works like a virtual community.
Description of the most popular platforms
Below is a summary of some of the most widely used social networks in the world, along with a brief description of their features and objectives:
- Facebook : This is a social network that seeks to connect people from all over the world, and that many use to meet up with old childhood friends or people they haven't seen for a long time . As mentioned in previous paragraphs, it has reached the position of undisputed leader. Among the options it offers us are creating groups with different criteria, sharing photographs and all kinds of multimedia files, participating in surveys and sending messages to famous people who we might not be able to contact otherwise.
- YouTube : Many people don't know that YouTube is actually a social network that started out as a free video publishing service. However, today, thanks to the apparent simplicity of its interface, the ability to leave comments on much of the content and the possibility of broadcasting live video, this powerful tool allows people from all over the world to communicate and is very beneficial for unknown artists who want to make a name for themselves in the culture and entertainment industry.
- X (formerly Twitter) : This microblogging app has been a real revelation, conquering the entire planet despite its seemingly exaggerated limit of characters per message, which, in turn, has awakened in many users the challenge of making the best use of it each time. X , formerly known as Twitter , allows us to share our activities at any time with a group of people, with the possibility of including multimedia content . Its now well-known hashtag has become part of popular language and is widely used by large companies to promote their products by taking advantage of trends.
- MySpace : This is a portal used especially by singers who want to achieve fame. On MySpace it is possible to share music files, videos and photos, meet other artists and keep in touch with them and even create blogs.
An influencer is a social media user whose posts, publications or stories accumulate thousands of “Likes” and who can influence the decisions of their followers.
The dangers of social media
Beyond the obvious advantages and possibilities that social networks offer, these platforms can also be harmful. Phishing on social networks , for example, allows cybercriminals to obtain personal information from users and thus commit various crimes.
Cyberbullying is another scourge that can occur in an online community. Trolls are those who spread hate messages and create confrontations. Aggression can even be automated through the use of bots on social networks, which publish messages imitating the actions of a human being.
It should be noted that, through the privacy settings , you can disable the possibility of receiving a direct message, in addition to establishing other parameters that allow you to protect yourself from attacks.
Another increasingly widespread danger is the spread of fake news . This misinformation can lead people to believe that various issues are true or real when, in reality, they are lies or do not exist. This phenomenon occurs above all in politics, but it can spread to other areas, including the health field (such as when false data about vaccines is spread, to mention one possibility).