The Evolution Of Social Media: A Look Back At Its Impact On Society

From grunting and cave drawings to speaking, letter writing, sign language, and email, humans have sought out new means of communication throughout history.

After that, social media emerged.

Communities and widespread engagement are the cornerstones of social media platforms. Users may quickly locate old acquaintances and make connections with new individuals who have similar interests without having to know someone's contact details in advance.

People may now quickly communicate with one another wherever they are in the globe. Despite their distance from one another, they can view videos together and exchange data over the cloud. Whole digital ecosystems have been produced by these platforms.

In a short period of time, social media has transformed communication. The Pew Research Center forecasts that by 2021, 72% of Americans utilized major social media, up from only 5% in 2005. According to Statista, 4.89 billion people will be using social media worldwide in 2023.

What is social media?

Not all digital communication forms fall under the umbrella of social media. The term "social media" describes websites or applications that let users communicate with one another, share material, and send messages cooperatively.

The emphasis on social interaction and content sharing is the main component of social media. Even if a lot of platforms allow you to post material, social media promotes more user interaction and cooperation.

Depending on the goal of the platform, these interactions may have different focal points. LinkedIn is one example of a site that emphasizes professional development and commercial relationships. Others, such as Instagram, may target certain demographics or concentrate primarily on picture sharing.

Socialgreg social networking sites are increasingly providing additional capabilities like online purchasing and live video streaming. Additionally, celebrities and professionals utilize these channels to interact more personally with their audiences than is possible via conventional media.

The term may alter as social media platforms develop, but the fundamental concept of community interaction is probably going to remain constant.

Early social networks

After the first wave of online platforms, true social media networks started to appear. One of the first was SixDegrees, launched in 1997. It was based on the idea of "six degrees of separation," where users could connect with friends and friends of friends. It allowed messaging and community interaction but shut down in 2001.

Next, LiveJournal, launched in 1999, helped shape the self-publishing side of social media. It lets users create personal blogs or diaries and share them with friends. Unlike traditional social media, the "friend" system on LiveJournal was more like following someone on Twitter or Instagram, and posts could be commented on. It’s still active today.

Then came Friendster in 2002, which became one of the earliest platforms similar to modern social media. It allowed photo and video sharing, along with text posts and links to other websites. Friendster grew quickly, reaching 3 million members in a few months, but eventually couldn’t compete with newer platforms. It was rebranded as a social gaming site in 2011 and shut down in 2018.

MySpace launched in 2003 and became huge. It was the top social media site from 2005 to 2008, especially popular for its music features. Users could customize their profiles with HTML and embed music and videos. MySpace’s Music feature helped artists get discovered, much like the platforms Instagram and TikTok do today. However, it couldn’t compete with Facebook, which surpassed it in 2008.

Other platforms like Hi5 (2003), Habbo (2000), and Bebo (2005) also appeared, but none became as culturally significant as the giants that followed.

How does social media affect society?

Sharing personal updates, promoting companies, and exhibiting professional work are just a few of the various purposes of social media.

Here are a few benefits:

• Users may establish communities, form connections, and connect with people rapidly.
• Brands may compete with larger businesses and expand their audience.
• People looking for work might find new possibilities.
• Local organizations might meet together to talk about social issues or politics.
• In addition to family and friends, users may connect with like-minded individuals.

But there are drawbacks as well:

• Some persons assault others online while hiding behind anonymous profiles.
• It is possible to distribute false information.
• Users may get uneasy when they see inaccurate representations of other people.
• Data breaches might occur on social networking sites.

How has the role of social media changed?

The original purpose of social media platforms was to facilitate online friendships. They evolved into locations for companies, brand promotion, and user data collection over time. Smaller communities developed within these wider networks as more individuals joined, transforming them into resources for local organizing and networking.

Social media's vast user base has made it a crucial platform for prominent personalities to communicate with a wide audience directly, eschewing conventional media.

The future of social media

Despite just being around for a few decades, social media has already undergone significant development. Platforms adapt to consumers' changing habits by adding new features and connecting methods.

Looking at Asia, which often adopts new patterns first, might help forecast future trends. Livestream shopping on social media is popular in Asia, and marketers often collaborate with micro-influencers rather than well-known celebrities. The United States is also beginning to follow this pattern.

With tools like chatbots and more intelligent algorithms for content suggestions, artificial intelligence is also anticipated to proliferate on social media.

Some users may rebel against growing consumerism by favoring more straightforward platforms like Reddit or Discord, even if companies continue to utilize them to interact with consumers.