The popularity of social networking applications, commonly known as “online communities,” has reached a point where new ones come out every year. Therefore, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of social networking to make the most of this trend.

The need for social networking applications emerges from the fact that people love interaction with others. People can create their profiles online through sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com, and search for people who have similar interests. These sites also help people reconnect with their old friends and schoolmates. Certain sites cater to specific interests: sites like Multiply.com and Flickr.com are for those who are into photo and video sharing, while people who like to express themselves through writing prefer Livejournal.com. For businessmen, Ryze.com and gibLink.com are the sites that allow them to market their products and services more effectively.

However, there are bad sides to social networking. Setting up an account in a community can be challenging, and putting up a profile online can expose a person to internet predators. In the office, fascination with social networking affects productivity as some employees would rather spend their time surfing online communities than working. Another disadvantage of social networking is that since people can express themselves however they want, they tend to be more informal in speaking and writing, neglecting proper grammar usage and spelling.

Like everything else, social networking has its pros and cons. It is up to the users if they use it for their benefit or just for fun.