What Makes Social Networks Click?

Social networks are fast becoming an everyday activity for a lot of young people, mostly those who have been quite taken with the digital lifestyle. You might be familiar with the more famous ones like MySpace, Friendster and Live Journal. Have you ever wondered what is so appealing about these networks? Here is a look at why these networks exist and why their appeal seems to work for many people.

The Need To Communicate - Above anything else, people need to be validated. Thus, it is the basic need to connect with others that drives most people to joining online social networks. Humans are, after all, social creatures and they can connect and extend their connections easily over the Internet in a way never before imagined. In just minutes, a person can go well and beyond the six degrees that are expected of human relations. It is also through these networks that people can find out about other people in other countries and learn about their interests; unlike in the past when such a thing was restricted geographically.

The Need To Express and Share - Aside from the human need to communicate with others, it extends even further than that. Because people want to be validated, they develop the need to share their experiences with other people. This can be in the form of anything from opinion to preference. Usually, what you will find in a blog on a social network is something that is deeply opinionated. This way, people can attract two types of people at the same time: those who agree and those who disagree; all for the sake of attention and communication.

The Need To Learn Something New - Social networks are about the most effective way to learn something new. Getting involved with different social networks allows for one to gain new wisdom about human interaction. It even helps one to gain knowledge about products, events, etc. This is one of the reasons why advertisers will take the opportunity to showcase their projects on various social networks. Another way to look at this is that one can join a social network to offer information that the network lacks. Therefore, it becomes a two-way relationship that makes the sharing of information complete. Ultimately, a social network can enhance people's knowledge on pretty much any topic, factual and opinionated.

The Need For Identity - Again, we go back to the basic human need to be validated. In this case, an online identity is what most people are after. Not everybody can afford to invest in a personal website. Sites like Friendster have taken their services up a notch by allowing users to create their own identities; and to present themselves through these identities online. It is through services like Friendster that people have created for themselves a kind of fa�ade that is ironically very personal.

Online social communities are a place where people can communicate with others without fear or discrimination. This is the all encompassing appeal of websites like MySpace, Multiply, and Friendster. And as long as they offer more features that will enable users to further express themselves, it won't be a surprise that this will become a standard in human interaction.