Social networking websites have become prominent in the world of internet communication. Facebook has more than one billion users, while other platforms such as Twitter and Linkedin has millions of active users who log in every day. The age group of people using these platforms is diverse, ranging from teenagers to old people.

Most Popular Social Networking Platforms

• Facebook: Has about 1.59 billion users.
• Whatsapp: launched in 2014 and has about 1 billion users
• Tencent QQ: This is an instant message social networking platform with about 853 million users.
• WeChat: With about 670 million users, it is a preferred network for people who want to communicate via text.
• Qzone: This website allows users to share photos, videos and messages and has about 650 million users.
• Tumblr: This is a microblogging platform where users customize their homepages and follow pages of people with shared interests. It has 555 active users.
• Instagram: This medium is for sharing photos and videos, and allows users to use images and videos to share their day to day activity. It also allows for personal conversations through direct messaging. It has 400 million followers.
• Twitter: This is a microblogging social network where users post a few words (called tweets), and they can engage in conversations on direct messaging. It has 320 million users.

Some of the other popular social networking sites include Skype, Viber, Sina Weibo and Snapchat.

Social Networking Etiquette

While social networks have been used to have fun, get jobs, campaign for change, among other good deeds, it has also been used as grounds for arrest, loss of employment and legal suits. Some of the social media etiquette that can help in navigating through include:

• Do not mix business with pleasure: This is important for people with multiple accounts; one for personal interactions and another for business. It is important to keep things professional on the business page by avoiding confrontations and posting only what is relevant to the business.
• Be cautious when tagging photos: Not everyone wants to share their personal lives on social networking platforms. Before tagging anyone on photos, make sure that you get their consent and even show them the photo that you plan to tag them in.
• Do not overshare: People using social networks should be cautious about how much they share on the platforms. It is not safe to keep dropping locations and giving all details of daily events as someone with a sinister motive might follow the page and harm the user.
• Resist the urge to misrepresent: There have been many cases where people misrepresented themselves only to be discovered later. Social network websites should not be a place to seek validation and lead a double life. It should be for fun and meaningful interactions.