The History of Social Media (2000-Present)

By IlwadA

  • LunarStorm was one of the first ad-financed social media sites

    In 2000, LunarStorm was launched. This was one of the first commercial advertisement-financed social networking websites. The site was aimed at teenagers and developed in Sweden. By 2007, it had grown to an impressive 1.2 million members, 70% of which were between the ages of 12 and 17.

  • Wikipedia

    The Wikipedia, was launched in 2001. Its founding aim was to provide an online encyclopedia that allowed anyone to edit articles.

  • Friendster

    Friendster emerged in 2002. This Malaysian-built platform was initially used as a social networking service website. It was used for all the usual things, but also as a dating site and event, band, and hobby discovery service.

  • LastFM was one of the first online music sites

    LastFM made its debut in 2002. It was one of the first online music databases and online radio streaming that have become the norm today.

  • LinkedIn

    2003 saw the emergence of LinkedIn. Its social media for business has enabled its steady growth into one of the most popular social media sites in the world.

  • MySpace

    2003 also saw the launch of MySpace, which quickly became "the" social media platform at the time. It allowed users to completely customize their profile, but also to could embed music and videos.

  • WordPress fires up its engines

    WordPress was also launched in 2003, opening up blogging to almost anyone. It now powers many websites.

  • Facebook

    2004 version

  • YouTube launches in 2005

    YouTube first appeared in 2005 and launched an entirely new method of communication.

  • Twitter

    Twitter also, launched in 2006, almost unheard of previously.

  • Tumblr

    Tumblr has grown in popularity, especially with teens and those who prey on them, with its microblogging and social networking features.

  • Spotify, Ping, Groupon, and Kontain appeared in 2008

    Spotify, Ping, Groupon, and Kontain appeared in 2008, continuing the development of niches within the growing social market. Location-based social media also began to take hold in 2009

  • Instagram

    Yet another important step in the evolution of social media platforms was the launch of Instagram in 2010. A US-based photo and video sharing platform, Instagram is today one of the biggest social media sites in the world.

  • WeChat

    A Chinese owned app that was made in 2011

  • Google

    “ Google decided to launch Google+ in 2011 as a fully-fledged social networking tool. Users were able to form group contacts into "circles" and chat via video "hangouts".

  • Tiktok

    In 2016, the now incredibly popular social media platform, TikTok, was first launched by Douyin for the Chinese market, it was later launched on iOS and Android outside of China.