How do you meet new people, make new friends, or find out about thelatest bands? Here in the UK young people have traditionally¹ done theirsocialisingin bars, pubs² and clubs.

However, there is a new generation growing up that finds it easier to manage theirsocial liveson the net, using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces.

Welcome to thesocial networking website– a place where you can present yourself to thedigital communityand meet otherlike-minded people.

The most successful social networking website in the UK is MySpace.com. As of July 2006, MySpace is the world’s fourth most popular English-language website, attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. MySpace claims to have 95 million members with 500,000 new members joining the community each week.

So how has it become so successful? Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity³. Each new member can build their own page simply –uploadingphotos, videos andMP3 files⁴. Then they describe themselves, listing their likes, dislikes, favourite bands,relationship status, etc. It’s an easy way tohook up withpeople who share your interests.

Briana Dougherty, a 25-year-old MySpacedevotee, told us, “It’s a casual⁵ way to stay in contact without appearingweird.” It seems that many people do not feel comfortable giving out their phone number or personal e-mail address tonew acquaintancesbut are perfectly⁶ happyto tradeMySpace profiles⁷.

While socialising is the key to MySpace’s success, love of music is at the heart of the community. Indeed, mostaspiring musiciansin the UK upload their songs to the site, and with good reason:unsigned artists, Arctic⁸ Monkeys and Lilly Allencreated such a buzzon the site that they were offeredrecording contractsand scorednumber one hits.

Here at Learning⁹ English we feel that social network sites could be a great place to practise your English. Why not give it a try? You can tell us about your experience by filling in the newcomments format¹⁰ the top of the screen.