Social networks caused a revolution in the concept we had about social relationships and the way we spend our free time.. With the use of networks, we not only look for people with whom we can keep in touch, but we can keep up to date with what is happening around us, we investigate references, we find work, etc.
All this can give you an idea of the positive aspects that are around social networks, but they also have their bad face and generate debates about privacy, the risks of an addiction to always being connected, the drop in productivity in the work environment, among many others.
The great capacity that these websites and applications have to be able to share different contents in real time, photos, videos, opinions, etc., has meant a great change in the way in which each and every one of us currently live. In this post, we are going to talk about what are social networks, their classification and we will also talk about their less friendly face.
What are social networks?
Surely when you hear the term social networks, names like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. come to mind. But not only these three exist, it is worth that they are some of the best known today, but there is a great variety of social networks with different themes.
Social networks are defined as a digital platform that manages to connect different people with similar interests, relationships or activities with each other. Its main function is to allow contact between users and also function as a means of communication, since an exchange of information occurs.
To initiate this contact, it is not necessary that the users of the social network know each other Previously, this contact can be started through the social network.
In social networks, we not only meet people, but also the vast majority of companies and brands that we know today, have a profile in some. On Instagram, we see how brand profiles grow day after day. Brands need to be where their audience is.
Two different concepts: social networks and social media
There are several occasions in which two totally different concepts are confused, such as social networks and social media. To avoid creating more confusion, below We define each of these terms.
If we talk about social media, we will be referring to the use made of digital technologies to get the conversation going or dialogue between different users is interactive. This concept we are talking about not only encompasses social networks, but also videos, blogs and other websites that offer the possibility of interacting with other users.
On the other hand, if we talk about social networks, we are focusing on a type of social media whose main objective is to create a union, a connection between people. Each of these people has a personal profile with which they can start interacting with other users with what they can share in addition to information, jobs, videos, etc.
What kind of social networks exist?
Today, we can say that social networks can be classified into four different groups according to their functionality. These four types of networks would be; personal, entertainment, professional and niche.
Being able to access a social network is a very simple process, since in the vast majority of them it only involves fill in a series of questionnaires with your personal data. In addition to this, you will need to create a personal username and a strong password with which you can privately access your social network.
professional social networks
This first type of social network that we talked about, are aimed at users who want to post about their employment information, upload your resume, achievements, job awards, etc. Another of the main purposes of this type of social network is to get a job or other professional purposes. The best known professional social network today is LinkedIn.
personal social networks
In this case, personal social networks are created to connect various users with each other. These connections will be based on connections personal such as the study center, common friends, the city where you live, etc. Facebook is a clear example of personal social networks.
entertainment social networks
The main entertainment social media function Its the share various content. One of the most outstanding social networks of this group would be Twitch, it is a social network created to share digital content to different users in real time.
Niche social media
Source: https://behance.net/
This last group of social networks may be the least familiar to you. Niche social networks are aimed at those people with common interests, both professional and personal. An example for better understanding, Behance is a social network designed for different professionals and amateurs from the world of design to share their work.
One aspect to keep in mind about the classification we have just made is that they are many social networks that have a wide flexibility in terms of their purpose and uses. An example of this is Instagram, this social network can be used personally, professionally or even for entertainment.
There is another type of classification that divides social networks in horizontal or generic networks, are those that do not have a certain theme. And, on the other hand, there would be the vertical social networks What are the networks that create connections between people? with common interests.
Advantages of social networks
Different websites or applications have certain functions with which we can, in addition to communicating, sharing, entertaining and informing ourselves, sell and buy goods or services.
On platforms like Instagram or Facebook, it is common to find famous influencers, in addition to ads, who offer us wonderful products, according to them, but on many occasions we doubt that they will be to your liking.
Social networks have behind a series of advantages that have led them to be indispensable for our lives today.
One of these advantages that we talked about is the immediacy. Social networks work in real time, information, images, videos, all this arrives in a few seconds to our screens from anywhere in the world.
In addition to being immediate they are massive since they have managed to break down cultural, age, ethnic barriers, etc.reaching the majority of the population. Another of the most important advantages should be highlighted, and that is that with them we shorten distances by being able to communicate with our relatives or other people in thousandths of a second.
For brands, having a profile on social networks is a great advantage since it helps increase their visibility. Advertising and professional profiles have been growing and have managed to create a market within the networks. All this has the objective of connecting users with sales profiles.
They not only function as a channel where we can communicate, entertain ourselves or learn. We too allow you to find job opportunities, which becomes a very positive point. There are networks aimed at job offers connecting the user's profile with the job opportunity.
Social media risks
As we mentioned at the beginning of this publication, social networks also have a negative face that must be shown to the public. In this section, we are going to name some of the negative aspects that can happen within social networks.
One of the risks that is the order of the day in the networks is the cyber bullying. This occurs when an individual or a group of them is dedicated to harass through insults, private information or other forms, to another user.
Within cyberbullying we point out one of the most dangerous, grooming or pedophile deception. This case consists of a bullying initiated by an adult towards minors, is a convicted crime and which should be reported. Special care must be taken with those minors who have profiles on social networks that they cannot access due to their age.
Fake news is another negative aspect within social networks. False information is unreviewed news that spreads quickly, generating confusion and even making it difficult to understand the events that have occurred.
The massive reproduction of information or also called viralization, it can become a positive aspect if said information is pleasant for the user. But when can be harmful or confidential, it becomes very negative which can become dangerous.
Today, with social networks, anyone can easily access sensitive content. We are not only talking about sexual content, but also violent content towards staff or animals. This content is inappropriate not only for adults, but also for young people within a certain social network.
Finally, we are going to talk about one of the most talked about risks currently by content creators and anonymous people. This irrigation is excessive use of social networks that can create an addiction and lead us to lose touch with the real world.
We find a wide variety of social networks available with which to enjoy, learn and communicate. They have become part of our daily lives for many years. Social networks are considered as an opportunity to make ourselves known both personally and professionally.
You already know what social networks are and what their advantages and disadvantages are. Now it is you who must know how to use them conveniently according to your objectives.