3. Why is the social networking trend spreading so rapidly? One reason that these websites are popular is because people are social. We like to communicate with other people. We make friends with people in school, at work, and online. Most people like to stay closely connected to their friends and family. We use cell phones, email, instant messaging, and websites to learn what our friends are doing. The Internet is a good way to socialize and communicate, and social networking sites allow people to do this in many ways.