Social networking sites are great for society because they promote increased communication and connection between hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although some argue that the dangers of online networking far outweigh its benefits, it is clear that this is not the case; It's quite the opposite. Online social networking can be broadly defined as any website or other type of online communication that allows people to interact with each other. Blogging, or keeping an online journal, became popular in the late 1990s. As blogs began to attract more and more people, pure social networking sites appeared. SixDegrees.com (1997-2001) was the first website allowing users to create personal profiles and connect with friends. In 2002, Friendster was created, popularizing social networking before the arrival of Myspace, Facebook and Twitter in 2003, 2004 and 2006 respectively. "Currently, social networking and blogging sites account for over 17% of all time spent on the Internet” (“Are social networking sites”). The addition of multimedia capabilities was a major draw for users. Thanks to social networking sites, the average Internet user can easily upload music, images, and videos to online web pages. As these sites gain popularity, the user base expands to include more people over 50, in addition to the millions of teenagers who already use them. Social media has many benefits with sites like Facebook and Myspace. On the one hand, increased communication strengthens relationships. Internet users generally tend to have larger social networks than non-users, and by maintaining these relationships online, they are able to stay in touch with many more f...... middle of paper ....../?pageID= cagoterminal&L=4&LO=Home&L1... “Common sense media poll: Parents are out of the teen social media loop. » Close-up on entertainment. August 12, 2009. Courtney, Vicki. “Connected and disconnected.” Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2007. Derbyshire, David. “Social websites are harming children's brains: a chilling warning to parents from a leading neuroscientist.” » Daily Mail. February 24, 2009. “Educational Benefits of Social Networking Sites Discovered.” » Daily Science. June 21, 2008. Carpenter, Whitney. “Ego Journey.” Teen Vogue. April 2010.Mooney, Carla. “Online social networks”. Farmington Hills: Lucent Books, 2009. Rogers, Vanessa. “Cyberbullying”. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2010. “Short Circuit.” Teen Vogue. April 2010. Sommers, Michael. “The dangers of online predators.” New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc..., 2008.