According to Webtrends, social bookmarking is "tagging a website and saving it for later." Every time someone sees something they like on Pinterest and sends the link to someone else, he/she is participating in social bookmarking. According to Cnet.com, Pinterest now has "100 million monthly active members." Pinterest isn't the only social bookmarking site, so this means that there are at least 100 million social bookmarking users in all. Social bookmarking allows users to save and share websites. Users are also able to discover new things by browsing through items tagged by other users. Spam is con when it comes to social bookmarking. Unfortunately, people can create the same web page multiple times. This creates more views for the creator, but also more problems for the user.
According to Deitel, a professional networking site can be used to network with other professionals, find and post jobs, grow business contacts, etc. Professional networking sites are becoming more popular as time progresses. According to Statista, Linked In has at least 97 million active users. Through the little experience I have with this website, I have learned that professional networking sites are very beneficial to people who are trying to expand their connections with other business professionals. Various users have reported that sites such as Linked In can have many people who are not who they say they are. This can be risky when trying to build credibility with a company.
WhatIs.com has described a social networking site as one that is involved in "expanding the number of one's business and/or social contacts by making connections through individuals." Social networking sites such as Facebook allow users to connect with people around the world simply through mutual contacts. Connecting with new people is a great way for someone to become introduced to an array of opportunities that he/she might not otherwise. Statista.com reported that Facebook has nearly 1,500 million users monthly. This number has increased drastically within the past few years and will definitely continue to do so. Unfortunately, as the level of online interaction rises, the level of face-to-face interaction falls. This could ultimately lead to a society where people do not know how to communicate effectively with one another. Social networking use among minors increases their chances of contact with predators and pedophiles. Social networking sites can be both beneficial and dangerous; they should always be used responsibly.
Each of these types of sites has the ability to broaden one's knowledge and interest of past, present, and future things and people. There is much to be gained from the use of these sites, but there is also potentially much to lose. It is imperative that adults use these sites responsibly and that parents monitor their child's use of not only these types of sites, but all sites available on the Internet today.
