Social Media Timeline

By jds382@uakron.edu

  • TCP/IP Adoption

    TCP/IP Adoption
    • "Birth of the internet"
    • Created networks that became the foundation for social media platforms
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    Early Foundations

    -These foundational elements paved the way for the global, economic, cultural and political shifts that caused the social media boom.
    - Apps like Myspace introduced online networking which paved the way for cultural exchanges globally and personalizing digital identities.
    - Early Internet showed political disclosure in blogs and forums influencing political mobilization and campaigning.

  • Launch of Six Degrees

    Launch of Six Degrees
    • Founded by Andrew Weinreich named after the "six degrees of separation".
    • First social media platform allowing you to create profiles and connect with friends.
    • The platform was sold to YouthStream Media Networks 1999 for $125 Million and was eventually shut down in 2001.

  • Blogging Platforms on a Rise

    Blogging Platforms on a Rise
    • Blogger by Pyra Labs was one of the first platforms to make the mainstream of blogging. This helped users focus on content without needing advance tech skills.
    • LiveJournal launched the same year as Blogger combining blogging and social media features in one place. Livestream introduced features like commenting allowing communication between the bloggers and readers themselves.
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    Social Media Boom

    • These social media platforms gave users the opportunity to express themselves looking at things like personal and cultural identifiers.
    • Viral content, memes and trending topics shaped global culture.
    • These platforms allowed people worldwide to come together to foster a growing global community. These apps had Translation tools which helps non-native speakers engage in global topics.
    • Social media is a major part of our digital economy today.

  • LinkedIn

    LinkedIn
    • LinkedIn was one of the first businesses-acquainted social media platforms which was originally founded in December of 2002 but officially launched May of 2003.
    • LinkedIn helped create professional profiles, job opportunities, connections and networking tools.
    • LinkedIn had a positive effect on the way people go about career growth, skill assessments and professional development tools.
    • LinkedIn officially went public reinforcing their status as a dominant professional networking site.

  • Facebook

    Facebook
    • Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University.
    • When Facebook was created, it was originally limited to Harvard students and later expanded to other universities until it was made public in 2006.
    • Facebook became a dominate platform for political campaigns, social interactions and marketing.
    • In 2008 Facebook surpassed Myspace and became the largest social media platform.
    • Today Facebook is continuing to shape social media all over the world with over 2.9 billion users.

  • Youtube

    Youtube
    • YouTube was founded by founded by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim.
    • YouTube is a platform made for uploading, sharing, and looking at videos.
    • By 2006 YouTube was acquired by google for $1.65 billion and became a cultural phenomenon.
    • YouTube hosted viral videos, educational content, tutorials and more and became the second largest search engine after Google.
    • Provided a foundation for digital advertising and entertainment.

  • Twitter (Now known as "X")

    Twitter (Now known as "X")
    • Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams.
    • Twitter was made for microblogging which limited tweets to 140 characters and later expanded to 280.
    • Hashtags were created to categorize content and to keep up with trending topics. Twitter became a significant tool for activism and journalism within citizens.
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    Mobile and Visual Evolution

    • The launch of iPhone in 2007 and other smartphone advancements made social media easy to access on the go, helping the development of apps and features that are mobile-specific.
    • Instagram and Pinterest focused on pictures and designs while TikTok and Snapchat focused on videos that stay up for 24 hours.
    - Live streaming and location tagging enhanced engagement and personal connections.

  • Instagram

    Instagram
    • Founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram started off as an aesthetic photo sharing app and quickly gained popularity with Facebook for $1 billion.
    • Snapchat inspired Instagram in 2016 and introduced stories which allowed users to post content that stayed up for 24 hours.
    • Instagram was also inspired by TikTok and shortly after introduced Reels and IGTV.
    • Instagram became a source for influencers, businesses and brands ensuring visual content for advertising and interaction.

  • Snapchat

    Snapchat
    • Snapchat was founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown. Snapchat is known for the ephemeral content allowing messages and content to disappear after viewing.
    • Instagram inspired Snapchat to introduce stories to their platform which allows users to post content that goes away after 24 hours.

  • TikTok

    TikTok
    • TikTok was launched to the world when ByteDance combined Douyin and Musical.ly. TikTok is a platform where users post video content.
    • TikTok provided music, effects, and editing tools to help users create engaging content like viral challenges hoping to make an interactive community.
    • TikTok became a popular app that people use all over the world for entertainment, and marketing.
    • TikTok quickly became a cultural powerhouse influencing music, everyday life, fashion and memes.
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    Evolution of Decentralized Social Media

    • Users start to look for alternative apps because they were concerned about data ownership, and opaque algorithms of traditional platforms.
    • These platforms helped with blockchain-based data ownership and users being able to customize their individual experiences.
    • These platforms are changing the user expectations, influencing the main platforms to prioritize the privacy, transparency and user control.
    • Decentralized platforms support open standards, but poor integration limits adoption.

  • Nostr

    Nostr
    • Nostr Protocol was written by Giovanni Torres Parra who is a Brazilian open-source developer.
    • This protocol is popular in cryptocurrency enthusiasts because of its connection with Bitcoin's Lightning Network.

  • Bluesky Social

    Bluesky Social
    • This platform was developed by former CEO of twitter Jack Dorsey.
    • This platform uses the Authenticated Transfer Protocol which focuses on giving users control of their data and ability to move easily through platforms while using the same identity.

  • Mastodon

    Mastodon
    • Mastodon was launched in October of 2016 but didn't gain traction until Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022.
    • This is a platform that revolves around the Activity Pub Protocol. This platform also provides privacy and minimizes content issues in centralized systems.