By: Jenna Roden

Stumbling, pinning, and following. These are common terms youth is familiar with today. The younger generation clings to social networks as if they couldn’t live without them. Some people would say that these networks are nothing but a distraction, but many people find them beneficial to use in their lives. Stumble Upon, Pinterest and Twitter don’t distract teenagers, but instead express who they are.

Stumble Upon is a social network where a plethora of common websites are loaded before one’s eyes. Visitors can pick any interest of theirs and go through hundreds of sites on the topic. Many hot topics on Stumble Upon are actually educational. One could sift through sites about psychology, fashion, Europe, music, soul, relationships and many other endless options. This website not only gives someone random a page of text but it also provides resourceful information about one’s self and the world around them.

Pinterest, on the other hand, is a social network where people figuratively “pin” one’s likes and interests in a simple, organized fashion. The difference between Pinterest and Stumble Upon is that one has to find material on their own, making it more work to find what they are looking for. But on Pinterest, a person can have followers on the website who can actually “re-pin” their friend’s interests. Pinterest focuses more on the “you” aspect while Stumble Upon focuses not only on “you,” but also the world. It’s a great way to find people who possess common interests and ideas.

Twitter is a social network where nothing but opinions lie. It is a website that differs from any other social networking website in multiple ways. Instead of having a Facebook Newsfeed, Twitter has a timeline where constant posts are made. Instead of stumbling upon websites, many public tweeters post websites that they find interesting and share it with thousands of people. As with Pinterest, one can post pictures and share what they think. Most people would only allow one Facebook status a day without coming off as annoying, but with Twitter, the average number of tweets is around seven to 10 per day. What is better on Twitter is that one’s opinion can be retweeted and favorited by their followers, which gives them a complete boost of self-esteem because they know people appreciate their opinion.

Social Network websites come off as distractions all the time. Most of the older folks of this day and age aren’t aware of the actual benefits of them. Not many people are that amazing at art, can’t play their favorite music on the guitar, can’t take nice pictures, or find certain information about a particular topic. These websites aid those lack of skills and help the youthful community come together as one.