Lesson: Social Network Services

A. Logo Identification

Look at the logos below (logos not provided). Are you familiar with them? Discuss with your partner what they are and how they are related to e-communication.

(Note: Please refer to the logos provided in your original lesson materials.)

B. Reading

The Rise of Social Networks

Internet technology has helped create a wide variety of websites that facilitate social connections among people around the world. These websites are known as social networking services, social networks, or social media. Currently, Facebook is the most popular social media site. Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., are other frequently used social networking services. Social networking services are web-based and, therefore, provide ways for users to interact over the Internet. These services allow people who share common interests and activities to connect across borders, giving users the feeling that they truly live in a global village.

(Picture: People using social media on their phones and computers)

Why are social networks expanding so rapidly? The answer is simple. First, most social networking services are free. You can use them by paying a small fee to your internet service provider. Second, you can make your profile public to the entire online community—it’s like introducing yourself to the world. You can also view other people’s profiles. It’s simple and easy. Third, social networks allow users to upload pictures, multimedia content, and modify their profiles. Some services, like Facebook, allow users to keep their profiles updated. Fourth, networks enable users to post blog entries. User profiles have a dedicated section for comments from friends and other users. Lastly, there are privacy protection measures. Users decide how many people can view their profiles and what information is shared.

Questions:

1. What do you understand by “social networks”?
2. What are some uses of social networks?
3. “These services… have made users feel that they truly live in a global village.” Do you agree with this view? Why/Why not?
4. Make a list of the reasons why social networks are expanding so rapidly. Why do you think this is happening?

C. Logical Connectors

Read the second paragraph of the text in Section B again. Pay attention to the italicized words (first, second, third, fourth, lastly) and explain how they help create a logical sequence in the paragraph.

D. Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. ______ technology has enabled social networking sites to emerge.

   • a) LinkedIn
   • b) Google+
   • c) Internet
   • d) Twitter

2. Users have to pay for:

   • a) social networks.
   • b) their online connections.
   • c) multimedia content.
   • d) uploading pictures.

3. User accounts have ______ protection measures.

   • a) virus
   • b) identity
   • c) privacy
   • d) network

4. User profiles have a section for:

   • a) others’ comments.
   • b) outsiders’ editing.
   • c) outsiders’ moderation.
   • d) outsiders’ uploading.

E. Completing a Form

Fill in the following dialogue box to open a Facebook account.

(Picture: A screenshot of the Facebook sign-up page)

F. Analyzing Social Network Data

Look at the following table adapted from Wikipedia, which presents data on the worldwide use of social networks.

| Social Network | Individual Users | Percentage (%) of Popularity | Regions Covered | |----------------|-----------------|------------------------------|-----------------| | Facebook | 792,999,000 | 55.1% | Worldwide | | Google+ | 250,000,000 | 17.7% | Worldwide | | Twitter | 167,903,000 | 11.7% | Worldwide | | LinkedIn | 94,823,000 | 6.6% | Asia & Europe | | MySpace | 61,037,000 | 4.2% | USA & Canada | | Others | 255,539,000 | 17.8% | | | Total | 1,438,877,000 | 100% | |

Complete the following dialogues about Facebook and MySpace and create your own questions and answers about the other social networks in the table. Act out the dialogues in pairs.

Dialogue 1: Facebook

Q: Which social network is the most popular?

A: Facebook is the most popular.

Q: Approximately how many individual users are on Facebook?

A: About 793 million.

Q: In which part of the world is Facebook used the most?

A: Worldwide. It’s popular worldwide among individual users.

Dialogue 2: MySpace

Q: Which social network is the least popular?

A: MySpace is the least popular.

Q: Approximately how many individual users are on MySpace?

A: ______.

Q: Where is MySpace mostly used?

A: ______, among individual users.

(Continue with Dialogues 3, 4, and 5)