1. Social effect: Facebook is a site available to anyone. Many people use it in order to contact friends and relatives from all around the world, and to meet new people. This requires you to send someone a friend request and for them to accept it, in order for you to appear on their ‘friend list’. Economic impacts: Facebook is completely free which encourages people to go on Facebook meaning there’s less travel costs as you don’t have to go see people in real life. Facebook is relatively easy to use and is appropriate for a variety of ages. Threats: It can, however, be a potential danger to children around the ages of 12 and below because, at that age, they do not understand the risks associated with online websites, for example; stalkers and paedophiles. On Facebook, it’s very easy to create fake accounts using pictures which are not your own, meaning the people you’re talking to may not be exactly who you think they are. So, although Facebook can be fun to use, you also need to be aware of the dangers and be careful whose friend request you accept.

2. Economic impact: Instagram is a site which many people use to upload pictures and view other people’s. You’re also able to view people’s videos and create your own. By using Instagram it saves you having to go and see what a person looks like in real life. Social effect: Instagram is completely free! On Instagram, you’re able to ‘follow’ people in order to view their photos and videos on your Instagram home page. Others can also follow you so they can see your photos and videos. You are able to see how many people are following you, and how many people you are following. You can also go onto other people’s profiles and see how many people and who they are following. On Instagram there is a little heart under each photo and video. This heart is so you can click on it, to ‘like’ it. You’re able to gain likes on your own stuff too. Threats: Instagram can be dangerous, however, depending on your privacy settings. You can change your settings so that only the people you accept are able to follow you and view your stuff. If you don’t have your settings on private, anyone is able to access your photos which could encourage stalkers.

3. Social effect: Skype is a site which enables you to talk with people from around the world. All you have to do is create an account and add someone on it in order for you to be able to talk to them. Skype is fun which encourages socialising. On Skype there are many ways you are able to talk to someone. This includes talking by chat, meaning you type out what you want to say. You can also call someone, which is similar to being on the phone to them as you can hear their voice and they can hear yours. Enonomic impacts: An alternative is video chatting someone, meaning the other person is able to hear your voice and can see you at the same time via webcam or camera on your device. This saves you having to travel to see the person and it also clarifies you’re actually talking to who they say they are. Skype is a very easy way to contact someone and is available to use at all times. It’s also really simple to use. Threats: Skype can actually be dangerous as it’s easy for someone to create a fake account and add you. This could mean you’re actually talking to a complete stranger and they could be putting on a voice.

4. Social effect: On Windows Live Messenger you’re able to contact family and friends by adding their email address and them adding yours. This allows you to see when they are online. If you send them a message when they are offline, they will receive it once they sign in. Economic impact: People no longer have to see eachother in person which could possibly cost money for e.g travel costs. MSN is absolutely free to use! Threats: There are many threats involved with MSN. It’s relatively easy for someone to create an MSN account and use fake pictures and possibly a fake name too. Always be aware who you talk to and don’t trust everyone. Make sure you know who an email address belongs to before adding them to your contact list.

5. Social effect: Mobile phones allow people to communicate in a variety of ways. For example you’re able to communicate via text message once you’ve added someone’s number to your contacts. This simply involves going onto messages, choosing a contacts, typing out your message and pressing ‘send’. This is an easy way to contact someone. Using a mobile phone means you don’t have to see someone in real life in order to talk to them. Economic impacts: An alternative to texting is calling someone. This involves choosing a contact and pressing the ‘dial’ button. This, unlike messaging, allows you to talk to someone using your voice. You talk into the phone’s microphone and the person you rang or who rang you is able to hear your voice, as if you’re having a real life conversation. Threats: Mobile phones can be dangerous, however, if someone you do not know gets hold of your number somehow because they are able to message you without you knowing who it is. They could also ring you and hide their number so you’re not able to discover this mysterious person. It’s easy for them to lie about who they actually are, too.

6. Snapchat is a great way to chat to people by using the camera on your device to take a quick snap (picture) of yourself and adding text onto the picture. This can be done by creating a Snapchat profile with a username and adding someone else’s username. Once they accept you you’re able to send them snaps and vice versa. Social effect: Snapchat is a good way to be able to see what the person looks like or where they are, and the pictures you receive do not save to your phone so they don’t take up memory. They also deliver to your recipient really quickly. Snapchat is safe as you’re able to actually see who you’re talking to. Threats: On Snapchat, although the pictures you send are not saved to the recipient’s phone/electronic device, they’re still able to screenshot your snaps so be careful what you send. Economic impacts: Snapchat is fun and easy to use meaning people are more likely to use Snapchat rather than go round to someone else’s house which could possibly involve a cost.