The History of Social Media

By cpugel16

  • The Telegraph

    The Telegraph
    Social media requires back and forth communication. The telegraph was the first device able to make that happen. Emile Durkheim and Ferdinand Tonnies, two sociologists, were also considered the "pioneers of social networking" during this period.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 2)

  • Phone Phreaks

    Phone Phreaks
    People were able to construct homemade devices that allowed them to make free phone calls by gaining unauthorized access to unused corporate mailboxes, creating the first podcasts and blogs.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 2)

  • ARPANET Created

    ARPANET Created
    The program, ARPANET, was created in 1969 and was, "an early network of time-sharing computers that formed the basis of the internet." This program was developed by the US government agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 2)

  • Multi-User Dungeon

    Multi-User Dungeon
    The Multi-User Dungeon was one of the first virtual worlds that allowed its participants to engage in role-playing games, interactive fiction, and online chat.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 2)

  • The Bulletin Board System

    The Bulletin Board System
    The Bulletin Board System allowed users to, "upload and download software, read news, or exchange messages." Bulletin Boards were the first taste of news sites that allowed its users to communicate through the web.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 2)

  • The WELL

    The WELL
    The WELL, which stands for the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, is one of the oldest virtual communities continuously operating. The WELL also originally began as a Bulletin Board System.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 3)

  • Listserv

    Listserv
    Listserv was a software that allowed a sender to send one email and have it reach many different receivers. This helped the world greatly, because now, companies could begin email promotions and mass communication.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 3)

  • LunarStorm

    LunarStorm
    LunarStorm was Europe's first online community and served the purpose of a social networking site for teens. LunarStorm also kick-started the idea of upgrading memberships, like to a premium level.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 3-4)

  • MySpace

    MySpace
    MySpace quickly became the most popular social networking site due tp its unique features. MySpace allowed for the customization of profiles, and allowed for music artists to download their music to mp3s.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 4)

  • Facebook

    Facebook
    While Facebook originally began as a site for college students, it changed its age requirement to 13 and then revolutionized the world. Facebook became the number one used social media network worldwide and allows for users to create a profile, communicate, and join other groups, while large companies paid for advertisements on its site, due to the popularity.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 4-5)

  • Youtube

    Youtube
    Youtube was an exciting new platform, because it allowed for users to share videos that they created and connect with others al=round the world. Youtube users gain their popularity by allowing other users to subscribe to their channel and get notifications when a new video is posted.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 5)

  • Twitter

    Twitter
    Twitter gained popularity and set itself apart from Facebook as several celebrities began to use Twitter. Twitter allowed for, "micro-blogging," which is its' appealing factor to its' users.
    (Edosomwan, 2011, p. 6)