Everyone knows the words "Social Media." It describes web sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, as well as social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us and StumbledUpon.com - it seems like everyone these days wants to share the most mundane and intimate things: From what they ate for dinner, or how they feel about their latest break up. People, through social media, have become more status-conscious as well, talking about their electronic gadgets, furniture purchases, and even where one buys insurance for their car has become a symbol of status. Through social media, companies have become human, struggling to put a face on their business to compete for consumer dollars. With growth comes competition, prompting some to ask, "What's the next big social media site?" Here are some heavy hitters on the international stage of social media, some new, some old:
Faces.com
Originally launched in 2004, faces.com has followers worldwide, with its largest following in the UK, followed by the USA and then Australia. This site caters to adults (18+), and according to its latest press release it has 700,000 followers and features "wanks" that people can send to one another, allowing them to "beat the Beaver" or "do the rattlesnake shake" over other provides. However, according to the website, it is possible to wank too much in a 24 hour period. This site is a little fresher than other social media sites, and certainly for a more mature crowd.
Friendica
While technically not a social media site, Friendica invites users who are concerned about privacy issues experienced by the use of other social media sites, and wish to build their own. Friendica features easy installation using common open source data software, and one can open their own social media website for only the cost of the domain and the hosting. The software will aggregate data from other social networks, enabling users to connect with their contacts from Twitter, Faceboook, and even Wordpress and Tumblr. No corporate owns Friendica, so anyone can use it, and change the software to their liking. There are several free sites available on the Friendica platform, so if a user wants to sign up, they don't have to install or start their own site.
Cellufun
Don't worry, mobile users, there are options for social networkers on the go, and unlike the most of the popular social media web sites, Cellufun was created as a mobile platform from its inception, avoiding most of the issues that social media sites have when going from computer to cell phone. Cellufun focuses on mobile gaming and its social aspects, combining chat and quality time wasters for commuters, people on breaks, or just sitting in traffic. Expect to see fast growth on for this social networking site, as it supports both flash and HTML5 based browsers.
When it comes to social media sites, there truly is something for everyone. While the sites listed have global appeal, there are plenty of social media sites that cater to special interests: Movies, books, religion and art based social networking sites abound. One simply has to look.