SNS

Social Networking Service (SNS) is an online platform that enables users to create profiles, connect with others, and share content within a network. SNS emphasize building social ties and typically include profiles, friend or follower lists, news feeds, comments, likes or reactions, direct messages, groups, events, and pages for individuals and organizations.

Origins of social networking can be traced to early online communities in the 1990s and 2000s, with services such as SixDegrees.com, Friendster, and MySpace paving the way for more centralized networks. Facebook, launched in 2004, popularized a model of public profiles, interconnected networks, and algorithmic feeds that shaped later platforms. Since then, prominent SNS have included services focused on professional networking, image sharing, microblogging, and short-form video, each adapting features to user needs and regulatory environments.

Core features typically include profile creation, network building (friends, followers, or connections), content sharing (text, images, videos), interaction tools (comments, reactions, shares), private messaging, and community spaces (groups, pages). Access is usually via web and mobile apps, with personalization driven by algorithms and advertising frameworks.

Impact and usage: SNS facilitate personal communication, professional networking, marketing, customer service, and information diffusion. They influence public conversation, culture, and political mobilization, while raising concerns about privacy, data security, misinformation, and content moderation. Regulators, researchers, and platforms continue to address these issues through policies, transparency measures, and sometimes national laws.

Challenges and governance: Key issues include data collection and targeted advertising, platform responsibility for content, security incidents, and the concentration of power in a few large networks. Effective use involves privacy controls, clear terms of service, and robust moderation.