Social networking straight from your mobile phone; we all do it. If we see something great, we snap a quick picture and add it to our Twitter or Facebook accounts for others to see. If we want to get in contact with a friend, a phone call is no longer needed, all we have to do is log onto Mxit or Whatsapp and we can chat for as long as we want for the fraction of a price of a regular phone call or a text message. Even though some of us are wary of utilizing our phones for social networking, the truth is that it is not age discriminating and there is no doubt that this applies to all forms of communication today.

According to recent statistics, a Mobile Internet in South Africa 2010 study revealed that social networking is outweighing simply browsing websites on mobile phones. Those in the know have predicted the rise and rise of mobile internet usage, with Mary Meeker from Morgan Stanley predicting that “more users will connect to the Internet over mobile devices than desktop PCs.”

Numbers for the use of social networking sites on mobile phones are booming at an alarming rate – with many South Africans who don’t have access to the internet on their laptops or PC’s using their mobile phones instead.

Here are 3 reasons why everyone can use social networking on their mobile phone.

1. Today, even your grandmother has a mobile phone
2. Today, even your grandmother has Facebook and Twitter
3. Today, even your grandmother  knows how to “chat” online

The way your younger sibling uses a mobile phone for social networking is most probably different from the way your older uncle or aunt does. It is all about personal preference, and in South Africa specifically, there is a preconceived notion that mobile chat rooms such as Mxit are only meant for tweens. If you take a closer look, you will see that sites like these are open to all, with family members communicating on their mobile devices with each other (sometimes in the same room). Using your mobile phone for social networking is cheap, instant and easy.

So, we suggest that you embrace your mobile phone and the ability that it has to connect you to others – even if you need to get someone of the younger generation to help you get it up and running!

How much do you use your mobile phone for social networking compared to the time you spend using sites like Facebook and Twitter on your PC or laptop?

Read more posts by Lauren Potgieter

Lauren is the digital wizard behind campaigns for World Wide Creative clients such as The Just Cause and Cape Town Partnership. Lauren likes dancing, fashion, big sunglasses, gypsies and little people. Not only is Lauren is an SEO whiz, but she's also a writer, community manager and social media extraordinaire. Follow her on Twitter for updates on fashion, marketing and the strange people at World Wide Creative.

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