Social networking

Social networking is a skill in The Sims 3: University Life. The skill mainly involves interacting with the smartphone by texting, browsing the web, streaming video, or blogging. This skill is fairly simple and easy, as Sims can build this skill anywhere without needing a particular object. The skill, however, does not expand its functionality to computer. Additionally, Sims can also learn this skill by reading the skill book.

Social networking has plenty of benefits. For instance, Sims can unlock new skins and special apps for their smartphone. Blogging will also bring many benefits. For example, Sims can ask followers for donation and help with academics (if they're at the college). Social networking skill is required for Sims who work in sports agent career.

Statistics

 * Highest Number of Followers
 * Most Followers Gained from a single Blog Post
 * Total Simoleons earned from Blog Donations and Blog Buyouts
 * Total Number of Five Star Blogs Written
 * Total Number of New Sims Met Via Sim Finder App
 * Most Common Relationship Status set with the Relationship Transmogrifier

Challenges

 * Blog Baron
 * Sell the rights to 5 different Blogs. As a result, your Sim will receive more donations from followers.


 * Professional Greeter
 * Meet 25 different Sims using the Sims Finder App. As a result, your Sim will receive the 'Excited' buff every time they meet a new Sim via Sim Finder.


 * Match Maker
 * Change the relationships of 30 different Sims using the Relationship Transmogrifier to Romantic Interest or Partner. As a result, your Sim can use the 'Best Friends Forever' bit in the Relationship Transmogrifier app.

Blog App
With level 1 skill in social networking, Sims will unlock the Blog app. With Blog app, Sims can create posts in their blog, and they will gain or lose followers. As Sims gain more followers, they will earn rating stars for the blog. The higher the rating of the blog, the more benefits Sims will unlock. Sims may lose or gain followers with minimum of -10 and maximum of 15 followers per post. The cap of this range will increase as they gain higher skill in Social Networking skill, as noted on the table. For example, Sims with maximum level may lose as few as 2 followers in a post.

Sims cannot just create posts all the time. Each time Sims create a new post, there's a 15% chance they will get "Blogged Out" moodlet, which can be reduced as they have higher social networking skill. The chance gets higher if they create too many posts under half an hour. Creating a post while having this moodlet will result a loss of followers. Sims will also begin to lose followers if they no longer create posts after a certain time.

Blog themes
There are three types of Blog app: personal, reviewer, and news blog. The theme of the blog is essential to determine what events will trigger the "Gotta Blog About" moodlet. When Sims make a post with this moodlet, they will gain significantly more followers than without the moodlet, ranging from 15 to 40 (that can also be modified depending on the skill level).

The "Gotta Blog About" moodlet will trigger from the following events:
 * Personal Blog


 * Have a baby
 * Get fired
 * Get hired
 * Change careers
 * Get a promotion
 * Get a degree


 * Have a romantic relationship
 * Be mean to another Sim
 * Cheat on your partner
 * Make a new friend
 * Adopt a child


 * Get married
 * WooHoo
 * Kiss a Sim
 * Go to a party
 * Get into a fight
 * Skip work


 * Reviewer Blog


 * Buy new items for your home
 * Repair items around your home
 * Read books
 * See a movie


 * Dine at a restaurant
 * Get a massage at the spa
 * Gain a cooking skill level
 * Attend a concert


 * Attend a sports game
 * Purchase art
 * Spot celebrities around town


 * News Blog


 * Gather collectibles
 * Witness death
 * Be arrested
 * Witness a robbery


 * Discover new fish species
 * Witness a fire
 * See the Grim Reaper or other supernaturals
 * Gain a skill level


 * Have an interesting conversation with other Sims
 * Learn gossip
 * Spot celebrities
 * Read the newspaper

Additionally, Sims with writing skill will raise the cap of max followers per post by 10. Sims with certain traits will also raise the cap by 3 if they have a specific blog theme.
 * Personal blog: irresistible, charismatic, flirty, friendly, party animal, hopeless romantic, computer whiz
 * Reviewer blog: artistic, easily impressed, avant garde, perfectionist, schmoozer, frugal, computer whiz
 * News blog: bookworm, brave, daredevil, genius, lucky, ambitious, computer whiz

On the other hand, having certain negative traits will also lower the cap of the max followers per post by 3 for specific blog theme.
 * Personal blog: loner, mean spirited
 * Reviewer blog: slob, couch potato
 * News blog: couch potato

Sims can change the theme of their blog, but it will always cost the Sim 30% of their followers.

Blog Ratings
Blogs have ratings from 0 up to 5 stars. As Sims gain more followers, they will earn a rating star by half. The higher the rating, the more benefits Sims can get.

At 1-star rating blog, Sims can ask followers for donation and help with academics. There's a chance the followers will donate to the Sim's blog by the morning with the mail. The higher the rating, the bigger the chance and amount of a donation Sims will get.

At 2-star rating blog, the attendance of protest will increase. Sims can also upload resumes from their smartphone, and will get an additional career offer when they're looking for a job. Additionally, Sims will earn faster career performance as the rating gets even higher.

At 3-star rating blog, Sims will have an increased influence with all social groups.

At 4-star rating blog, Sims will get a periodic offer to sell their blog for §2,000 - §4,000, and even more if the rating is higher.

Posting Pictures
In addition to posts, Sims can also take a picture in the Blog app. The game will then bring up the camera interface. Although the interface is similar to World Adventures photography, it will not recognize its subject when taking a picture of something. It can post pre-taken photographs from the smartphone, but not from the camera. However, it will increase the photography skill slightly.

After the player takes a picture, it will automatically be posted. Instead of gaining followers, it will gain "likes" from the followers. The player can caption the picture or just delete it.

Sim Finder App
The Sim Finder app is helpful for Sims to find someone with specific gender, age, sign, or traits. The players can set the types of the Sim, or leave it with "Surprise Me" option which will not specify the type.

Rather than finding an existing Sim, the Sim Finder app actually generates a new Sim with the desired gender, age, sign, and traits (or random ones if "Surprise Me" is chosen); if two conflicting traits are chosen (e.g. Good and Evil), only the first trait will be applied, resulting in Sims with fewer than 5 traits.

Relationship Transmogrifier App
Relationship Transmogrifier app is a powerful app which Sims can use to change the relationship between two Sims. They can change their own relationship with other Sim, or a Sim's with another. Only teenagers and older will be available on the list. The relationship between the Sims can be changed into these types:
 * Partner (level 10)
 * Best friend (level 10)
 * Good friend (level 9)
 * Enemy (level 9)
 * Romantic interest (level 8)
 * Stranger (Level 8)
 * Friend (level 7)
 * Acquaintance (level 7)
 * Disliked (level 7)