As if there weren’t enough distractions in life to keep us from our daily tasks, online social networking has taken over. At this point, an era pre-Friendster, Facebook, and MySpace seems inconceivable, despite the fact that the now multi-billion-dollar outfits first stepped onto the scene only about five years ago. Once limited to those in-the-know, members of specific schools or companies, or those desperate for dates, these sites now seem to involve pretty much everyone under the age of 65.

A tool that has made stalking, err, making friends with strangers, much less involved, people now use these networks for a range of other purposes– to reconnect with old friends, find out about upcoming events, discover new music, even spy on an ex. But, like your favorite technological gadget or designer digs, this recent epidemic has spawned billions of cheap knockoffs. The exception: a select few that almost, if not totally, outdo their originals. Here, psychoPEDIA narrows down the top 5 new alternative networking sites:

Music: Virb
Already hailed as the new MySpace, this music-intense networking site delivers what rockers, electro-geeks, punks, popsters, and hip-hop-heads have been waiting for. MySpace junkies are bound to embrace the site whose pages are less cluttered with annoying ads and whose music players are less prone to freezing. Brought to you by the people at Boston’s Unborn Media Inc, the same company that produced sister site PureVolume,
Virb focuses on bringing people together through their love of music. In addition to improved aesthetics, Virb offers user-friendly advancements– including customizable playlists, a built-in system to pimp out your otherwise bland profile, iTunes synching so people can see what you’ve been bumping to, and Flickr integration for easy photo imports. Before long, people will be saying, “MySpace who?”

Dating: I’m in Like With You
For a site whose motto is “people watching on the internets: the bestest thing to do while you should probably be doing more important things”, you can’t help but feel a little guilty when you get sucked into this site. Almost like an eBay for people you’ve got the hots for (instead of used junk you don’t need), this site makes flirting a bit more tricky, as you can only communicate with others through self-created “games”– which can be anything from a date proposal to a guessing game. Hopefuls play by using points earned to place bids on the games of their choice. And you can even set up your account so that alerts, letting you know when you have been bid on or outbid, are sent to you by email or text. While much more fun than your run-of-the-mill dating, and a lot less dangerous than gambling, this site is currently (and will most likely always be) by invitation only. So, you’d better have a very nice friend on the inside.

Fashion: StyleMob
Can’t get your fill of celebrity-style-slagging in the tabloids? Now there’s a more effective venue to direct your critiques of fashion do’s and don’ts – only, in this case, with everyday people. Created with the idea that fashion starts on the street and climbs its way up to the runway – a reverse trickle effect, if you will – the emphasis of StyleMob is to showcase the creativity and diversity of street style that doesn’t necessarily subscribe to what the pages of the leading glossies have to offer. People can post their favorite ensembles, hairstyles, and accessories on their profiles, to be judged on a scale of “Not 4 Me” to “Wow!” and commented on by a “Style Council” made up of friends and the Mob experts. And, for those particularly skilled in the style department, the Mob might even pick you as their most wow-ful winner of the day. StyleMob reinforces the idea that looking good doesn’t translate to breaking the bank.

Humanitarian Interest: Care2
A veritable ‘action center’ for people supporting a variety of progressive causes and humanitarian interests, Care2.com is the networking option for the socially conscious. Boasting over 7 million members, the site includes businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals alike in an effort to build awareness and form communities around issues including everything from eco-friendly sustainable practices to animal rights to breast-cancer awareness. Care2 also sponsored the Earth Day “Virtual March” for the Defenders of Wildlife, as well as allows people to start free online petitions for their cause of choice, providing the opportunity for like-minded people to meet, unite, and take action on important global issues.

Art/Special Interest: Self-Portrait
An internet start-up from four Bard undergrads– Paris Ionescu, Jesse Bogner, indie rapper Jonny Rooms, and Theo Wenner (son of Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner)– with the help of strategic advisor Stefan Simchowitz, founder of the Hollywood production company that produced films like Requiem for a Dream and House of Yes, Self-Portrait is a networking venue for artists of every genre – studio, performance, architecture, computer, photography, etc. Users can search for the site’s contents by individual artist, medium, or location to find more artists in their own vein or about upcoming showings and exhibits. And, with profiles where artists can post their artwork and upcoming events, and socialize with others, artists can not only get and receive feedback from their peers, but also gain exposure and sell their creations directly off their profiles.

~Leann Peterson