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Official adoption of TCP/IP, creating the birth of modern internet -
The launch of WELL(Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link) which provided an online community for discussion and collaboration. -
The introduction of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) first allowed real time communications on the internet. -
GeoCities allowed for users to first create their own personal web pages, allowing for social presence -
Six Degrees is often considered the very first social networking site. Users could create profiles and interact with other users -
LiveJournal was among the first online blogging communities that truly fostered personal expression and collaberation -
MySpace becomes one of the social media platforms to gain massive popularity; allowing for music sharing. -
FaceBook is founded, quickly expanded from college students to the entire world -
YouTube's launch revolutionized the video sharing horizon with mass amounts of user-generated-content -
Twitter bust onto the scene and introduces microblogging with a 140 character limit per post -
The release of the first IPhone allowed for the mass participation of social media use -
Instagram is launched, emphasizing photo sharing and storytelling -
Snapchat debuts and introduces short video content with disappearing user content after the videos are watched -
Vine creates a high demand for short form content (6 second videos) which foreshadows future trends in media today -
TikTok is launched and takes the short form content world to new heights -
Cambridge Analytica scandal creates large waves on the privacy of users data and prompts regulatory tasks -
COVID-19 rapidly accelerates social media adoption and consumption for all aspects of life including work, communication, and entertainment -
The introduction of the Metaverse in large scale, essentially combining social media and virtual reality concepts -
Regulatory developments that aim at the spread of misinformation, privacy in data, and the integration of Ai into social media platforms