Overview of Popu­lar International
Social Media Sites
Since the first email sent in 1971, the first bulletin board system developed in 1978,
and the first website designed to connect ­people over the internet in 1995, social
media evolved in numerous directions, and dif­fer­ent cultures have interpreted them
in a variety of ways. Globally, multitudes of social media apps and websites are
available. With one to cater to ­every need and whim, it helps to think about the
dif­fer­ent types of platforms in terms of categories. While ­ there are many ways this
can be accomplished, no taxonomy of social media can truly account for the diver-
sity found in the social networking landscape, nor the heterogeneous nature of the
available media. Nevertheless, categories allow an examination of similar types of
social media, which aid researchers and students in understanding how they
function among dif­fer­ent sectors of society. The categories established for the pres­
ent volume are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to allow the pre­sen­ ta ­ tion
of an overview of the more prominent social media found around the globe.
Social media categories began to define themselves with the introduction of Com-
puServe’s CB Simulator, one of the first instant messaging (IM) programs. With this
tool, ­people could communicate via text in real time. The ability to send instant
messages and converse in real time is still one of the most popu­lar ways that ­people
in dif­fer­ent parts of the world use the internet. Some examples of this category of
social media include QQ, Skype, and WhatsApp. However, more often than not,
social media is associated with the websites that allow users to build profiles and
network with one another. Facebook’s pre­de­ces­sors, SixDegrees, Friendster, and
MySpace, may not have ultimately succeeded in their visions, but they paved the
way for the networking websites that dominate the internet ­ today. By far, the most ­
There is truly a social media app for ­ every interest. Animal lovers can communicate
with like-­minded ­people at Catster, Dogster, and Hamster. Fans of the zombie genre
can discuss books and movies at LostZombie, a site advertised as being ­under devel-
opment in the fall of 2015. Parents with single ­children can set them up on dates at
Date My Single Kid. Sight-­impaired ­ people can chat with other ­ people who have a
disability or their ­ family and supporters at Blindworlds. ­ People who like facial hair
can discuss the perfect mustache at Stache Passions. Science fiction fans can find a
mate at Star Trek Dating, and fans of the paranormal can plot alien sightings at UFO
Social (Interlat 2015). The bound­aries of social media are unlimited and ­there is a
platform for ­ every interest.
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