We are used to managing our profiles on the more popular networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. But there are many lesser-known networks that can help you with your interests in meeting people, promoting activism, discovering music similar to your style or delighting you with the best works of art.
We Are Social, a digital communications agency, publishes an in-depth study every year on the use of the Internet and social networks in the world. Its data for 2017 tells us that more than half of the world’s population now uses the Internet and nearly 2.8 billion people around the world use social media at least once a month, with more than 91% of them doing so via mobile devices.
The report also gives data on Spain. For example, that 82% of Spaniards have Internet access, with an average connection speed of 14.5 mbps, and that 54% (more than 25 million Spaniards) have social media profiles, which they connect to for 1’41” hours a day. The most used networks worldwide are, in order, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp.
Since we’re already familiar with these networks, I have researched other rare and lesser-known social networks that can open up a whole new world of possibilities beyond friend requests from people you don’t care for, or profiles you follow but that don’t tell you anything new.
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- ASmallWorld: This is a social network for high society, so you can only be admitted if you know a well-off colleague or, well, if you’re approved by a kind of international committee of experts. You have to pay 85 euros a year, of course, but in return you will learn the secret tastes of the rich people of Dubai, get great discounts at incredible places, meet people to share dream trips with and, of course, you will get ideas for some charity auctions. Jet-setters of the world, unite in this network!
- Find a crew: Surely if you are immersed in the nautical world, you know about this social network, designed to hook you up with boats to sail the wide-open seas or a crew to man your boat. You can arrange your contacts in one of three ways: professional, commercial or recreational. You can also find work in the sector, find a boat to share with several friends or plan the trip of your dreams with other users. Refuse to sink!
- Goodreads: When you log in for the first time, you will be asked to indicate some of your favorite texts so the site can suggest some personalized recommendations. Every user can vote and rate each book in its huge database, make a list of what they have read, what they are reading and what is on their to-read list, and they can also make friends. And remember, a book is a gift you can open again and again!
- Kindness: This social network aims to spread good vibes around the world, and that kindness is not going to be merely anecdotal. After signing up, you can browse through various kindness initiatives and choose which one you are aiming for: Pay for the coffee for the person behind you? Be your own secret admirer? Walk to work after dropping your children off at school? You can then share your experience after doing it, and you can also create your own initiative, which others can sign up for and take part in, making this world a better place. We rise by lifting others!
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- Peach: This social network, unlike Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., has features that make it stand out from the rest. For one thing, this social network is a little more private since you can only see your friends’ posts. It also works with “magic words” that allow you to convey different moods. Check it out!
- Pictify: Imagine Pinterest, but only for works of art, where you can spend hours looking at paintings, photographs, sculptures, murals, etc., in addition to sharing your own discoveries, giving an opinion on those works of art and learning from the works suggested by galleries and museums. This is Pictify, a social network for culture lovers where you can while away the hours searching for inspiration, or simply enjoying an artistic heritage of thousands of years. This world is a work of art thanks to our imagination!
- Slack: Slack is a kind of tool box in your device that features functions from other social networks and messaging apps. By synchronizing the devices, it lets you chat with users from all over the world at the same time, make video calls, have group conversations and transfer and share contents. Its designers claim that it is an ideal tool for increasing work productivity since it lets you integrate several accounts and tools from other apps into just one place.
- Tastekid: Music, films, shows, books, games, etc. Any leisure theme is valued in this social network featuring recommendations from all its members. The way it works is very simple: you register and then you search for what you want information on, such as a writer. The network gives you information on it and the rating from the rest of the users: how many voted it up, down or saved it for later, and how many are not interested in the topic (Meh). If you describe your tastes well in your profile, you will also get personalized recommendations.
- Trendy: This is a social network for fashion lovers where you can follow bloggers and trendsetters, see their recommended looks or what they are wearing now and save your favorites, a little like Pinterest! You can buy some of the clothes they wear. You can also upload your own looks or the ones you like, or import them from Instagram.
- Wayn: This is a social travel network that you will like as much as or more than TripAdvisor. It tells you the hottest destinations among users, makes suggestions so you can personalize trips based on your tastes and searches, provides rankings of the best places to go diving, hiking etc., and it also has prescribers who guide you and give you advice to prepare your next trip. Addictive, simple and effective, it already has over 20 million users and you can become one of them.
As you can see, it’s not all about ’filters’, and I’m not talking about sunblock. So, take your time and discover some of the new neighbors in social media town and let’s keep spreading the word and sharing the love. This world’s almost magical! 
