Social Networking on the Internet
A simple definition for a social network is the circles of people you know. There are circles of your close friends, others include your family, and yet others are of your acquaintances from church, your job, or community life. The Internet offers yet another opportunity for developing a social network with people who share something in common with you but whose paths you wouldn't have necessarily crossed because they reside in other states or countries.
Social networking on the Internet took off in popularity several years ago. Now there are over 200 sites where you can make new friends, find a date, exchange photos or make new business connections.
AARP offers an example of a wonderful social network for people mostly over 50. You can join in on any AARP Message Boards and meet new people. Perhaps you want to find a buddy for the Life@50 convention, learn about or share information on a hobby or trade tips about exercise and health. On the AARP Message Boards you are able to stay anonymous as a "Guest" or fill out your profile and post a picture to permit other AARP members know more about you.
Examples of other popular sites on the Internet include MySpace®, Friendster®, FaceBook and Linkedin®. At MySpace you can create a private community to share photos and interests with your network of friends or family members. It's become very popular with the high school and college-aged set, but the number of older adults participating on MySpace® is growing rapidly. Friendster® is a popular with singles looking to meet like-minded or similar-aged single people for dates or friendship. FaceBook has become very popular with anyone who has a valid email address from a registered company, college or high school, and is especially popular with the college crowd. LinkedIn® is a good example of a business networking site where your profile is more like a resume with a focus on work experience and skill sets such as engineering or marketing.
Although many of these social networking sites allow you to add pictures and personal information to attract new friends, it's very important that you remember to stay safe on the Internet. Like any other public place, you need to be protective of your personal information when you're visiting sites on the Internet, and there are some bits of personal data that you should not share or have easily accessible on a social website.
The obvious information not to publicly reveal is your actual address and phone number. In many cases you may not even want to provide your email address. It's not wise to fill in any form with your exact birthday, the true city where you were born or your mother's family name. There are all the types of information used by banks and credit card companies to verify your identify. A clever thief will troll social sites gathering this sort of information in order to steal an identity. So, be mindful when you join a social networking site that not everyone who contacts you is a trustworthy individual.
If you're interested in giving social networking a try, browse a site you want to join as a "guest" for a while or ask some of your friends what sites they belong to. Fill out only the minimal profile information when you first join. You can always add more data later when you've become comfortable with the social interaction you have on that site. Also remember to remove information from your profile when you leave a site to which you don't intend to return.
Social networking on the Internet can be fun and rewarding by expanding your circle of friends, especially in hobby or interest areas. The AARP message boards are a good place to start, and their rules of use for message boards are helpful to remember for interaction on any social networking site. But just as in real life, be mindful of your confidential information and with whom you share that information.
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About the Author
Susan Ayers Walker is a leading-edge boomer with over 35 years experience in emerging technologies.
