Social media is so integrated into our lives now it has become indispensable. We connect with each other, interact, socialize, share, create, and entertain on social platforms. According to the exact definition of social media, social media is used to create networks to simply share.
So where is the line? Messaging apps, user-centric social networks, and platforms for video are all part of social media. Anywhere users create online communities to share counts as part of social media.
When it comes to the question “When was social media invented?” it can be challenging to define the exact invention regarding the actual definition of social media. Together, let’s explore its creation and development and overall, the thrilling journey of social media!
The Origin of Social Media
Even though social media’s beginning tends to be linked with the invention of the telegraph in 1844, the creation of it doesn’t match the actual definition of social networks. So, where did it start? Exactly when was social media invented? The beginning of social media and the internet have a strong relation.
The appropriate environment for social media’s emergence was ready after the internet’s growth and people getting used to personal computers.
Social platforms were born, especially with a bulletin board system where everyone can share their thoughts and feelings and send personal messages.
The First Social Networking Site
The first social media site is Six Degrees. Users could construct their own profiles, add friends to their personal network, and sign up using an email address. Also allowed internet users instant messaging.
The early 2000s: Foundation of Current Social Media Platforms
Friendster and Myspace are among the first examples of the history of social media. Early social media platforms, as the name suggests, had a particular focus on getting people together and making connections between them with electronic communication since online communication has been the key to social media sites.
1. Friendster: Tragic Ending of a Popular Site
It was developed in 2002. You could build yourself an online profile and update your status, revealing your mood. It also allowed users to share videos and photos in addition to sharing situations. One can comment on others’ photos, too. Sound familiar, right? The first plan for it was to be a dating site, but then it evolved into a regular social media site that we are used to.
There was a rapid growth after its launch. Then, it turns to a social site focused on gaming. Ultimately, its downfall began.
2. Myspace Era: Social Media Pioneer
As a rival of Friendster, Myspace is an excellent example of a successful social media site. You could customize your profile photo, which is visible to anyone on the platform. In 2005, it was the most popular social media platform.
3. The Rise of LinkedIn and YouTube
In 2003, a site was launched under the name of “Facemash”, evolving to “Facebook” in 2005 by Mark Zuckerberg. Around the same time, one of the biggest professional networking sites, LinkedIn, also emerged. LinkedIn’s premium subscription is the first premium subscription among social networking sites.
These times were the prime times of the history of social media since, in those years, many sites were born that we know today. Photobucket, Flickr, and Reddit are among these sites. More importantly, a video-sharing website, YouTube, the second most visited website, emerged.
Mid-2000s Diversification
Around the mid-2000s, the integration of multimedia increased with YouTube and Twitter. Even though Twitter relies on brief personal accounts, people can share videos or photos as tweets. Youtube is one of the most popular social media sites created by influencers.
1. Twitter
In 2006, Twitter, a microblogging platform, was launched by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. Once Jack Dorsey posts content on the platform, as the first tweet, it sets the general tone of Twitter. There was a 140-character limit before. In 2017, the limit was 280 characters.
It was a great platform for live events. If you want to get the latest news as soon as possible, it is one of the excellent sites, that allows users to share real-time updates.
Also, the hashtags come into the play with Twitter. That way, people categorize their tweets, which will lead to trending topics. Also, it led business professionals to develop themselves on the platform and enabled users to follow branded hashtags.
2. The Rise of Social Media Influencers with YouTube
YouTube now has more than 2.70 billion monthly active users. Personal stories gain popularity with YouTube, one of the most recognizable social media site. With its presenting YouTube Partner Program, monetization was enabled, leading to the creators’ rise.
2010s: The Ascension of Visual Content
In this period, social networking sites turned into visually appealing platforms, which could be labeled as social media revolution since there is a sharp shift.
Instagram Comes to Social Media Landscape
Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger launched Instagram in 2010 as a photo-sharing service. Instagram is the fourth most visited site and one of the most popular sites in the history of social media. Also, it depends mostly on user-generated content like other platforms.
Instagram is one of the most successful sites that has stayed relevant for 13 years since its launch in 2010 by constantly adapting to innovations and staying relevant in the competition. Not only has it stayed relevant humbly, but also it has become so actively change itself that it becomes one of the most prominent and used social media platforms.
Then, Instagram launched Stories in 2016, right after Snapchat. With stories, one can post content that disappears within 24 hours. Moreover, sometimes, we want to look at other people’s stories without getting noticed by them. The AI tools are so improved that now, in 2023, it is possible to watch social media users’ stories anonymously and even download them before they disappear!
Snapchat Presents Disappearance
With Snapchat, people could post content that disappeared within 24 hours, which Instagram also added to its platform later. Primarily, the app became popular among young people. Also, mobile apps are getting more popular, which has led to the rise of Instagram and Snapchat. Also, Snapchat used VR to present filters, which increased its popularity.
Live Video Streaming Shines with Twitch
Twitch was just a site for general streaming at first. Then, it evolves into a website for gaming content. People love watching gameplay, as it can be noticed on YouTube. What people enjoy more is watching gaming streaming. You can enjoy being a part of the gaming community on Twitch.
Social Media Becomes More Integrated to Our Lives
Social media has become so integrated into our lives that sometimes one can find themselves thinking how it was before. Its integration affects even our mental stability or our data security.
Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health
Rapid changes and being overexposed to social media affect our mental sanity. We have to deal with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Furthermore, there is a form of anxiety that is called FOMO, fear of missing out. It is triggered by comparing others’ lives to yours and feeling imperfect according to them.
Facebook’s Data-Privacy Crisis
In 2018, Facebook had a crisis when it was revealed that a researcher from Cambridge Analytica, Stephen K. Bannon, got data from 50 million active users illegally without their notice.
Since data privacy was violated, Zuckerberg had to confront enormous pressure at that time.
E-Commerce Expands on Social Media Platforms
In 2020, social commerce emerged since people’s viewpoint towards e-commerce had changed. Facebook and Instagram were on time, saw the opportunity, and integrated Shops into their platforms. So that users can make in-app purchases. These features also encouraged businesses to improve their social presence to increase their sales and drew more marketing professionals to the platform. Also, social media marketing shifted and adapted to this new feature.
Clubhouse and BeReal
Do you remember Clubhouse that you can only enter with an invitation during COVID lockdowns in 2020? It was viral for a short time. His fall down began quickly as soon as COVID started to lose its impact, and restrictions were diminished since Clubhouse couldn’t stay relevant.
BeReal could be considered the result of people’s need for authenticity in social media history. It is a photo-sharing app that you can post unfiltered photos with a dual camera. It made a significant start, but unfortunately, in 2023, it declined in users.
Elon Musk Buys Twitter
Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, representing a shift in control over one of the most popular social media companies. Also, there are changes in policies and new features. Most importantly, there were terminations of the employment contracts.
FAQs
How long ago was social media invented?
The first online community can be considered the PLATO users. Online forums, discussion boards, email and social networking were all made possible by this innovative technology in 1985, 38 years ago.
What is the new function of video content in social media?
First of all, with today’s most popular video-sharing service, YouTube, there was a shift from text to visual content. Then, followed by Vine, Instagram, and TikTok, people are more into short-form video content. Now, even Instagram focuses on Reels to compete with TikTok. YouTube also has Shorts similar to the short-form content of TikTok.