What kind of Social Network are you?

How many of you sign into facebook automatically as soon as you go online, sometimes without realising it?
Some of you will admit it; some of you will deny it, which we both know is a down right lie; and the rest of you have unbelievable self restraint and will probably rule the world while the rest of us while away the hours procrastinating online trying to choose a new profile picture or write an amusing comment.

With the advent of Smartphones FB seems to be part of everyday life.

A lot of changes have occured with Social Media in recent years with many big main Social Networking players biting the dust (R.I.P. BEBO) and others such as MySpace having to re-emphasise their niche of being a platform for emerging talent to have any chance in surviving. More and more people are going online or feel the pressure to have some sort of presence on these "Online Communities" as the view that there's something wrong or dodgy about a person if there's no profile of them whatsoever on any site (not that we were searching that much or anything!) has infiltrated our brains.

Pressure to join...incase people might talk about us and we can't see because their page is private!

Midway through 2011 Google challenged the current "Ruler" of Social Media, Facebook, by introducing their Google + site and continues to challenge it by the introduction of Google Plus Your World at the beginning of his year.Still relatively unaffected by new kids on the scene Facebook seems to have become the standard platform where people let their voices be heard on the Internet. Even with the much talked about new layout that has been introduced with coverphotos for people profiles that makes it look "more like BEBO's hot older sister" and its "stalker friendly " timelines, Facebook's grip on us appears to be holding strong. We use it to connect,share, make plans, RSVP, shop, complain, praise, with or about everybody and everything.

So if Facebook is for everybody and their dog Im going to talk about a small few of the rest of the Social Network sites, the ones where we join to really "express who we are" that I have had some experience with.

There's  Twitter which allows us to update everything we do as we do it and is brilliant for people who are always on the go, doing something, promoting something or want to know what their favourite celeb is doing right.at.that.moment. I've recently blown the cobwebs off my account and started tweeting again only to realise that just like last summer I still do not do a lot of extremely interesting things during my day. I'm still as much of a broke student as I was then! #ifonlythedolepaidustogotocollege

Tumblr is great for sharing beautiful pictures you have taken or more often than not that other people have taken, doing a spot of writing if you don't want the pressure of a regular blog and after time it almost sets a mood board of the persons over all personality or funnily enough their mood for that day. It's dare I say it a little artsy,alternative and maybe a smidge hipster or very "Landan" chic, great for expressing the aul' creativity without actually having to do a whole lot. In fact one can spend a whole day reblogging without meaning to, even  especially when there's an assignment deadline the next day. (Before I get any backlash for the hipster comment I have an account myself and reblog the s...ugar out of other peoples pictures also.)

So many pretty pictures to brighten up an otherwise dull day!

LinkedIn is everybody's best foot forward Online and the site we pray will come up first when our future employers google our names. It's great for networking and connecting with former bosses and people in industry. Also, it's a way of repenting for all those shameful BEBO photo's that refuse to disappear from google search long after our accounts are deleted.

Blogs. This is where we rant, use personal stories to make a point or ramble about everything and nothing in general. It's a great way to express yourself whether you want to be a writer or not. It's an online space that can expose you the most to the most amount of people, which can be a very good or very bad thing depending on what you have written or who you have ticked off by it.

As for Myspace holding the title for the place to be found or newtork for music talent, I fear it seems to be struggling, especially with three music sites that are growing on the scene that have come to my attention: One is Bandhappy which while it is not quite a social networking site it has the potential to expand into this, I mean come on it allows people to get one-on-one live lessons from their idols through skype(or a system similar) and also Lastfm or more Apple's Ping which is on track to become the two main places for serious musicians to network.

It's amazing to think that by being on each of these sites it almost defines us to everyone else. So what are all of your predictions for the next Skynet...I mean market leader? Will Facebook remain up on top with their Facebook music due out in the next few months or will Google+  and Twitter's increasing popularity completely swipe the rug from under its feet?  Or will it be a complete underdog to capture our laptops, smartphones and ipads hearts?