Meaning of social networks (what they are, concept and definition)

What are social networks:

As social networks are called structures representing a set of individuals who are interrelated.

As such, it is a kind of map that manifestly shows the ties that bind a group of people together.

The concept has application in the social sciences, internet and computer science areas.

See also the concept of Networks.

Social networks in social sciences

Initially, social networks were a theory of the Social Sciences to designate the social structures characterized by the dynamic relationships that are established between people, groups and institutions. Hence, it can cover all kinds of links, from work, academic and professional, to those of kinship and affinity.

The author who first used the concept of social network systematically was the autralian anthropologist John Arundel Barnes. He used it to refer to patterns of ties between individuals, such as those that can be registered in certain social groups, such as families, tribes or ethnic groups.

However, the theory of social networks has been applied to various sub-disciplines of the Social Sciences, such as sociology, anthropology, social psychology, communication studies, among others.

See also:

• Social groups Social psychology

Theory of the six degrees of separation

Associated with the theory of social networks, we also find the theory of the six degrees of separation, according to which, all the people of the world are only six levels from any individual in any part of the world. This means that to contact anyone, we only need to establish a chain of links of no more than six individuals.

Social networks on the internet

As social networks are called, on the Internet, computer platforms web 2.0 designed to host virtual communities interconnected individuals who share content, information, files, photos, audios, videos, etc.

To access a social network on the internet, a person basically has to create a profile that allows them to enter one of these platforms. From then on, your activities can focus on connecting with other people, expanding your network of contacts, communicating, sharing content and seeing the content that the rest of your acquaintances share.

See also:

• Internet.Meme.

In this sense, social networks have many applications in people's daily lives. It can be used mainly to socialize (find old friends and make new friends), but also to make professional contacts, find a job, etc. In addition, there are thematic social networks, which allow people with the same concerns and affinities to contact and share interests.

As such, social media has meant a revolution in the way people communicate and interrelate and in the way they interact with the new tools that information technology offers. In this sense, they have been a turning point in the field of human communications, the flow of information and immediacy, to the point that the most important can be considered as one more means of communication. Currently, among the most popular in the world, are Facebook and Twitter.

See also:

• Twitter.The 20 most used abbreviations in social networks and their meaning.