Socialnetworkingisthegroupingofindividualsintospecificgroups,likesmallruralcommunitiesoraneighborhoodsubdivision.Itispossibleinperson,butismostlyreferredtoconnectionsintheworkplace,universities,andhighschools,aswellastheinternet,whichfilledwithmillionsofindividualswhoarelookingtomeetotherpeople.

　　Socialnetworkscanbeusedtogatherandsharefirst-handinformationandexperiencesdevelopingfriendshipsorprofessionalalliances,findingemployment,business-to-businessmarketing,etcetera.Thetopicsandinterestsareasvariedandrichasthestoryofourworld.

　　Whenitcomestoonlinesocialnetworking,websitesarecommonlyused.Thesewebsitesareknownassocialsites.Socialnetworkingwebsitesfunctionlikeanonlinecommunityofinternetusers.Dependingonthewebsiteinquestion,manyoftheseonlinecommunitymemberssharecommoninterestsinhobbies,religion,orpolitics.Onceyouaregrantedaccesstoasocialnetworkingwebsiteyoucanbegintosocialize.Thissocializationmayincludereadingtheprofilepagesofothermembersandpossiblyevencontactingthem.

　　Thefriendsthatyoucanmakearejustoneofthemanybenefitstosocialnetworkingonline.Anotheroneofthosebenefitsincludesdiversitybecausetheinternetgivesindividualsfromallaroundtheworldaccesstosocialnetworkingsites.ThismeansthatalthoughyouareintheUnitedStates,youcoulddevelopanonlinefriendshipwithsomeoneinDenmarkorIndia.Notonlywillyoumakenewfriends,butyoujustmightlearnathingortwoaboutnewculturesornewlanguagesandlearningisalwaysagoodthing.

　　Asmentioned,socialnetworkingofteninvolvesgroupingspecificindividualsororganizationstogether.Whilethereareanumberofsocialnetworkingwebsitesthatfocusonparticularinterests,thereareothersthatdonot.Thewebsiteswithoutamainfocusareoftenreferredtoas"traditional"socialnetworkingwebsitesandusuallyhaveopenmemberships.Thismeansthatanyonecanbecomeamember,nomatterwhattheirhobbies,beliefs,orviewsare.However,onceyouareinsidethisonlinecommunity,youcanbegintocreateyourownnetworkoffriendsandeliminatemembersthatdonotsharecommoninterestsorgoals.

　　AsI'msureyou'reaware,therearedangersassociatedwithsocialnetworkingincludingdatatheftandviruses,whichareontherise.Themostprevalentdangerthoughofteninvolvesonlinepredatorsorindividualswhoclaimtobesomeonethattheyarenot.Althoughdangerdoesexistwithnetworkingonline,italsoexistsintherealworld,too.Justlikeyou'readvisedwhenmeetingstrangersatclubsandbars,school,orwork--youarealsoadvisedtoproceedwithcautiononline.

　　Bybeingawareofyourcyber-surroundingsandwhoyouaretalkingto,youshouldbeabletosafelyenjoysocialnetworkingonline.Itwilltakemanyphoneconversationstogettoknowsomeone,butyoureallywon'tbeabletomakeaclearjudgmentuntilyoucanmeeteachotherinperson.Justusecommonsenseandlistentoyourinnervoice;itwilltellyouwhensomethingdoesn'tfeelrightabouttheonlineconversationstakingplace.