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Telegraph: A Stop Along the Way
Humans are social beings who interact through technology, or networks. For years before the internet, humans have been interacting through technology. Post offices, radios, telegrams, phones, to name a few are all inventions that have led to the development of modern day social media. One major tecnological step towards social connections was the invention of the telegraph in 1844. Riese, M. (2017, February 24). The Complete History of Social Media.
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Invention of the Internet: WWW
The internet took years to develop, and was called various things over those years. The 1980's saw growth and transportation of files and information across the world. Internet as we know it, the World Wide Web, came to fruition in 1991. It was created by Tim Berners-Lee, a Switz computer programmer. The Invention of the Internet. (2010, July 30). Retrieved September 16, 2018, from https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-internet
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Invention of modern E-mail
Email is invented in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, and electronic messages are now able to be sent across internal computers. E-mail will later develop into a more complicated program when Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai invented a more complicated version of it in 1978 at age 14. REISINGER, D. (2016, March 7). The Curious War Over Who Founded Email. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/03/07/who-really-invented-email
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Sixdegrees: First social media website
Some historians disagree over the first social media website, however, the first one that resembles modern social media was created in 1997 by Andrew Weinreich. Sixdegrees allowed its millions of users the creation of a profile and friends list. Ngak, C. (2014, February 04). Then and now: A history of social networking sites. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/then-and-now-a-history-of-social-networking-sites/2/ Photo: Sixdegrees.com -
Friendster: First dating Website
With the creation of social media websites also arose the creation of social media websites being used for dating. Friendster was an extremely popular app that encouraged its users to meet up in safe, friendly locations. This website was highly used by both those looking for dates and those not. Ngak, C. (2014, February 04). Then and now: A history of social networking sites. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/then-and-now-a-history-of-social-networking-sites/4 Photo: CBSNews.com -
Linkedin: social network for business
Linkedin launched in May of 2003 as a way for professionals to build their resumes online and network. This site has grown to become one of the most popular social network sites and has defined the expectations of professionalism on social media sites. Ngak, C. (2014, February 04). Then and now: A history of social networking sites. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/then-and-now-a-history-of-social-networking-sites/5 Photo: Linkedin.com -
Myspace
After its creation and rise to fame in the early 2000's, myspace became a household name and a site most young people used. The site defined the culture around social media and influenced its successors. Ngak, C. (2014, February 04). Then and now: A history of social networking sites. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/then-and-now-a-history-of-social-networking-sites/7 Photo: Myspace.com -
Facebook
Facebook first became available to the public in 2006, two years after Mark Zuckerberg created it. This website has proven to be the most popular and used social media website in the world. The site is now visited by about 1.47 billion people every day. Ngak, C. (2014, February 04). Then and now: A history of social networking sites. Zephoria. (2018, July 29). Top 20 Facebook Statistics. Photo: Facebook.com -
The First Tweet: "just setting up my twttr."
Twitter was origionally created in 2006 by @Jack Dirsey. The site went through several idea phases, including instant messaging and podcasts, but eventually became what it is today. The first tweet was sent out on March 21, 2006 by @Jack reading, "just setting up my twttr." MacArthur, A. (2018, August 27). The History of Twitter You Didn't Know. Retrieved September 16, 2018, from https://www.lifewire.com/history-of-twitter-3288854
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First Gram
Instagram's first post was in 2010 by co-founder @mikeyk, Mike Krieger. The social media site began as a platform for sharing photos and seeing other user's photo posts. The social media giant has since grown into a platform used for much more; videos, communication, and exploring. The app now has 500 million users. Laurent, O. (2016, June 21). Instagram Hits 500 Million Users. Retrieved September 16, 2018, from http://time.com/4375747/instagram-500-million-users/?iid=sr-link4
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Snaps
Snapchat was launched in September of 2011 by Bobby Murphy and Evan Spiegel, several months after its predecessor, Peekaboo was launched and then rebranded. Snapchat quickly challenged other social media giants and became popular with young people. Snapchat has changed the game and even led to other social media sites creating similar products to try to steal some users. Bernazzani, S. (2017, February 10). A Brief History of Snapchat. Retrieved September 16, 2018 Photo: Snapchat.com -
Facebook Expands: the Gram Acquisition
In 2012, social media super-giant Facebook purchased Instagram for 1 billion USD. This purchase set Facebook up to be almost unchallenged social media royalty. Facebook and Instagram developed strategies for taking on Snapchat, with the release of stories and disappearing photo messaging across both of the apps. This acquisition will set the stage for future social media companies to combine and compete.
Rusli, E. M. (2012, April 09). Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion.
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10 Years from Now
What will the future of social media hold? What will it look like 10 years from now? The posibilities are endless, especially with the invention of new technology. I doubt the inventors of Facebook or Twitter could have imagined that people would be able to check their apps on their watches in 2018. Although social media may look different in 10 years, companies may rise, fall, and buy each other out, one thing is for sure, humans will always expand on the technologies they use to communicate.
