REASONS FOR THE POPULARITY OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

There is almost no home without internet today. One of the most outstanding consequences of this development is the popularity of social networking sites. Even little children have Facebook accounts today and all famous people use Twitter. The effects of such sites are really far reaching so they are able to organize international events. Since the Zapatistas in Mexico used social media in order to make themselves heard and their protests became known in 1994, the importance of social media channels has been growing. After the anti-globalization movement it became more obvious how they impact people. Last year, we saw that really serious movements like the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street may be easily organized through these kinds of websites. Considering their power, it is easy to understand the popularity of such sites.

In the global world, everything develops very rapidly and naturally, communication has to be much faster. One of the reasons why people are so interested in social networking sites is, therefore, that they enable people to learn with just one click what is happening anywhere in the world. People who haven’t time to read newspapers may learn the most popular and most important topics thanks to Twitter; they can also learn what other people think about these issues unlike printed media. Because comments have the power to highlight different sides of things, it is also more enjoyable. In addition to learning different points of view, you can also state your own opinion and if you have a powerful voice or creative ideas, you have the chance to become popular. Today there are lots of Twitter phenomena. Pucca for example is one of them. A hundred thousand people follow her and thanks to this popularity, she wrote two books and published them without paying any money. This is a great opportunity indeed. Another example, Nihayn, a friend of Pucca’s, also became popular and then her blog started to be followed by thousands. The chance to know people like them, and become one of them makes these sites popular.

The increasing popularity of social media has been attracting public and private organizations. Their adoption of these sites causes more people to have accounts to be able to follow them more easily. Government officials, news channels, companies, lecturers and the like have Facebook and Twitter accounts and people can learn immediately what, where and when something has happened and what will happen. It is a really very good vehicle to announce an event not also for big organizations but also for everyone. Do you want to have a party? Create an event on Facebook, invite friends and then wait. Everyone can see who is attending, where it will be, what others write about it. It is really very practical.

The place of the colorful world of social networking sites in our lives can’t be disregarded and in the foreseeable future, this popularity will not lessen. Checking the Facebook homepage and the trendy topics on Twitter have become daily tasks for people. What the future holds for social networking is not known but that it will continue to be a part of our lives can’t be denied.