The past 20 years have brought technology and how we communicate and share with each other to new levels of connection through social media, weaving its way into the very fabric of our society. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, our isolation anchored social media in interconnectedness and forced us to rely on technology to stay close to our family and friends.

In 2021 more than 3.96 billion people were on social media. Factoring in that there are approximately 7 billion people, nearly ½ of the world’s population is on social media.

Although many people think that social media was created by Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of TheFaceBook, the truth of the matter is that social media was officially born in 1997 with traces leading back to the 1990s and Blogsphere. Blogs gave birth to the idea that you could directly post anything you wanted and get feedback without a middleman. Social media today is still growing, with a trajectory yet to be determined. Over the years, it has had many ups and downs; however, we know that social media is defined as online communication designed to build networks and communities with messages, ideas, photos, and ideas that are easily shared.

History of Social Media 

1997 - Six Degrees

Six Degrees allowed users to create personalized profiles; however, in order to interact with other users, you needed to “add” another person’s profile, similar to today’s “friending” someone. Named in honor of Kevin Bacon. By 1999, Six Degrees had 3.5 million users, and in 2001 it was shut down by Youghtream Media. The cause for the collapse of Six Degrees is the lack of income generation that all social media sites struggle with still to this day.

2002 - The year that social media bloomed. 

Friendster launched just a few years after Six Degrees was bought and sold. Similar to Six Degrees, Friendster took user profiles and friends to a network to interact, allowing people to share videos, photos and message each other. In a matter of a few months, Friendster had over 3 million users and in 2008 had over 100 million users.

LinkedIn. Launched in December 2002, focusing on helping professionals build a network, it stays relevant and true to its focus to this day and continues to grow.

MySpace changed the game when it comes to social media. Within the first three years, it had approximately 20 million visitors each month and was considered the #1 most visited site in the world. MySpace was recognized for its ease of use in sharing photos, videos, and files and had the perfect timing for millennials entering high school and college. MySpace began flailing with the rise of Facebook, and although it still exists, it is only a shadow of its former self online.

2004 - Facebook

By 2004 social media via Facebook was already popular with those who had a “@havard.edu” email address. In 2006, Facebook finally opened its doors to the world to anyone over the age of 13. By 2008, Facebook outgrew Myspace and currently is #3 in the world behind Google and YouTube and looks to have a long future ahead.

2006 - The Year of Twitter

Even though Twitter is as well known as Facebook, it has never been as popular. With its set limitations of 140 characters to set itself apart, they are still an iSocial powerhouse.

2010 - Instagram

Although late to the party, Instagram shows its sustainability through photo and video-only posts framed as a square. Owned by Facebook's META, it is a powerhouse engaging followers and is worth over 100 billion dollars today.

2011 - Snapchat took the world by storm with its disappearing messages and photos. Snapchat has its hook deep into the younger generations; however, it is yet to be determined if Snapchat will sustain in a challenging monetization category.

2016 - Tik Tok is a revolutionary video app that can take an average person and elevates them to influencer status overnight. No one knows if TikTok will endure the test of time; however, it has taken the world by storm. 

What is in store for the future of social media? If this past decade shows an inkling of the future, then as South America, Asia, and Africa go online, Facebook and other social media channels become allowed in China and other places where it is currently banned. We can anticipate social media to continue as an integral part of our lives. No matter what happens in the future, it is clear that social media will play a large role in our lives moving forward. Knowing how relevant social media is, if you are ready for an advocate to help your posts be consistent, give Bird's iSocial a call or message us today!