Social networking is the term used to define individuals who group and interact with certain other different groups. Much like towns or communities, social networks are clusters of people who share the same interest, or just have something in common.
There are a lot of social networking sites online. You may already be a member of one of them, in fact. You can find lots of different groups in the Internet, each having a single common factor. Some groups are for golfers, some are for fans of certain celebrities, while some can be a group of people who stayed in a certain area.
A social network website is a place where you can interact with other people, view and share ideas, and participate in activities. A lot of people are attracted to it, since it allows individuals to express themselves and have a page (or multiple pages) that they can call their own.
Another advantage that social networking gives to individuals is the ability to connect to different people. Since everything happens in the Internet, you can talk with anyone in the world, who they may be. This opens up a lot of opportunities to people, and can even help in building relationships. It bridges gaps and creates more ways to connect.
As soon as you start connecting to people, you open up yourself to possibilities and ideas. You can contribute, but more than that, you would greatly benefit from other people's ideas. Unlike creating a blog, participating in a social network increases the chance for your idea to be seen, heard or understood.
It is a great avenue for you to express yourself, and can even hone your creativity. Some people even organize meet ups or eyesballs for participants, helping people build their network of people, especially in the industry that you are working in. Graphic design, book clubs, photography, you can easily build your group and start passing ideas from one person to another.