Excellent way to stay in touch (bebo.com)

Member Name: Siamese

Product:	bebo.com
Date:	16/10/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun and simple to use, anywhere in the world

Disadvantages: Remember to stay safe and parents, monitor your childs access

Bebo.com

It is easy to assume that everyone knows what Bebo is these days, but I am sure that isn't the case, so for those who haven't experienced it yet, Bebo is a social networking site which was founded in January 2005.

The basis of this website is that allows members to create their own profile page, and then add backgrounds, photo's, music or videos.

You can make your profile page private (which prevents other people from being able to view your information) or leave it public (allowing everyone to view your page). You can search for friends who also have Bebo pages and then add them. Once you have added friends, you are then able to view their pages and they can view yours, you can also share photo's and videos etc.

Social networking sites are one of those creations that everyone either loves or hate. Lots of people believe that interacting with friends should be done the old fashioned way, by actually talking to them. I agree with this actually and wouldn't like to spend my life "virtually talking" to people on a computer, let's face it, that is no real substitute for physically spending time with the people who we care about.

Having said that, as someone who lives a long distance from family and old friends, I do find that Bebo is an excellent way to keep in touch and love sharing photo's etc. It is certainly a fun way to "chat" with several friends at once, which I enjoy. It can also be a fab way to send invitations to lots of people and get responses back quickly (excellent if you need to know definite numbers for events) and advertise upcoming events too.

On the downside, be careful not to put too much personal information on there, as with most things nowadays, identity theft is on the increase and it would be easy enough to get someone's personal details and use them for the wrong reasons if you were that way inclined. Also, parents, it is always sensible to ensure that your children keep their profile pages private and that you monitor who they are talking to. You can never be too safe. This may seem obvious, but better safe than sorry.

Would I recommend Bebo, actually yes I would. I find it a fun and simple way to keep in touch and share information and photo's with people who I cannot see all the time. I am sure that we all have family who live apart, friends from uni who have moved on etc and this really is a great way to maintain contact. It can also be a fantastic way for elderly people (who may not get out as much as they would like to) to stay in contact with people, my friend's Grandma is an avid user and she loves it! And of course, with easy internet access all over the world these days, it is great for people who live abroad or are travelling too.

Why not give Bebo a shot now and see what you think, you will hopefully enjoy it as much as I do!

Summary: Bebo - of course!