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Early online discussion boards where users posted in “newsgroups,” laying the foundation for community-based digital interaction.
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AOL introduced millions to the internet through dial-up, chat rooms, and instant messaging, shaping early online communication.
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One of the first modern social networks, introducing profile pages and “friends lists,” paving the way for later platforms.
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Popular with teens and musicians, MySpace allowed personal profile customization and influenced online self-presentation
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Facebook’s real-name profiles and News Feed changed networking and became the world’s largest social media platform.
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YouTube let anyone upload and share videos, transforming media by shifting power from TV networks to individuals.
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Twitter introduced 140-character posts, enabling real-time updates and breaking news culture.
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The News Feed centralized updates, changing social media from static profiles to dynamic streams.
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Hashtags (#) made it easy to group topics and follow trends across conversations.
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Obama’s presidential campaign was the first to use social media at scale for fundraising, organizing, and connecting with voters, proving its political power.
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Instagram popularized visual-first communication with photo filters and a focus on images.
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Snapchat created disappearing messages and Stories, changing how people shared temporary moments.
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TikTok’s short-form, algorithm-driven videos fueled global trends and viral entertainment.
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Revelations that Facebook data was misused to influence elections raised global concerns about privacy, ethics, and manipulation on social media.
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TikTok’s FYP personalized discovery with algorithm-driven recommendations.