 Social Networking sites offer a way for people with common interest to interact with one another  They include services such as chats, s, video chats, and instant messaging

 Information posted on the sites is free for all to view (unless you make profiles private)  Spamming sometimes occurs from a gathering of the s used on such sites  Messages sent by users of some social networking sites such as MySpace have been used in court as evidence against its users  School officials have recently begun using sites such as Facebook to make sure their students are acting appropriately and not harassing each other

 Attempts to make social networking sites began in the early 90s  Some of the first popular sites were classmates.com (1995) and sixdegrees.com (1997)  Today, there are hundreds of social networking sites, ranging from dating sites to the friendship based sites, such as Facebook and Myspace

 Facebook.com › Membership includes approximately 85 percent of U.S. college students › Targets students and younger people › One of the most popular sites today  Myspace.com › More than 80 million profiles created › Second most viewed site in America › Created in 2003 by “Tom Anderson”  Friendster.com › One of the first sites that became popular › Created in 2002 by Jonathan Abrams

 Xanga.com › Blog based social networking site  Classmates.com › Over 40 million users › Created in 1995, one of the first social networking sites though the term did not exist when it was created  Livejournal.com › Not only profiles but also blogs  The above mentioned sites above are mostly popular in America but other exist that are popular in other countries such as Orkut in Brazil and Mixi in Japan

 Social networking sites are easily accessible › Low-income students have access to technology in order to use social networking sites › Over 90 percent of students have internet access and over 70 percent have profiles  Helps encourage communication and keep people connected › Social networking sites makes it easier to keep in contact with others › Allows for sharing of information and creativity, such as images, writing, etc.

 Fosters communication skills  Users learn basic and some advanced technological skills › People learn how to develop customized content and people learn more about online design › Users are able to keep up with new operations and uses for the internet

 In 2006, two men were arrested in separate incidences for allegedly engaging in sexual contact with minors, whom they met through MySpace. One of the minors was 14 years old and the other was  "Every community site has to deal with pornography, hate messages or violent content," said Kent Lindstrom, president of Friendster. 2  Many adult users of social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook expose themselves to risk from identity thieves and hackers, according to a new US study. 3 1). Cnet 2).Cnet 3). The Register

 Think about how different sites work before deciding to join.  Think about keeping some control over the information you post.  Keep your information to yourself.  Post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing and knowing about you.  Remember that once you post information online, you can not take it back  Flirting with strangers online could have serious consequences.  Be wary if a new online friend wants to meet you in person.  Trust your gut if you have suspicions. Source: Federal Trade Commission

After typing full name, , password, select gender and birthday. Then click sign up.

Enjoy Facebook :o)

 Pros: › Allows you to stay connected with friends you otherwise wouldn’t be able to › Meet new people › Find old friends  Cons: › Privacy issues › Potential for misuse  Overall: › Social networking sites are a good thing if used carefully

 Facebook seems to be the most popular social networking site among young people in the United States.  They have been around for almost 20 years  You can now stay connected with and meet people from all over the world  You must be careful! There are creepers lurking on such sites…  Make sure to never give out any private information about yourself (such as your address) to strangers on these sites!

 Name a social networking site.  When did The first Attempts to make social networking sites begin?  Name a Positive aspect of social networking.  Name a Negative aspect of social networking.  Name one practice of safe social networking.

Thank You