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Social Media Through History
This timeline shows the creation of social media and how it has expanded into what it is today. -
CompuServe
CompuServe, the first major online service provider, came into being after the technology surge of the 1940s. - Emma Lehman -
PLATO
PLATO system, the first generalized computer-assisted instruction system, is developed. The system supported early social media functions, such as message boards, e-mail, chat rooms, picture languages, screen sharing, and more. - Emma Lehman -
Smart Phones
The first-ever smartphone was released in 1992, it was called the Simon Personal Communicator. or SPC. - Alora Crayden -
AOL
AOL instant messenger, an online service provider with a web portal, e-mail, instant messenger, and a web browser, is created by Barry Appleman, Eric Bosco, and Jerry Harris. It was patented by ICQ in 1998. - Emma Lehman -
SixDegrees
SixDegrees launches and is considered the first social media site used to make friends and expand social groups. - Emma Lehman -
Open Diary
Open Diary is the first social blogging network. This community invented reader comments and private content to early social media. - Emma Lehman -
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft launches Windows Live Messenger (MSM Messenger) with new features such as video and voice calling services. - Emma Lehman -
HotOrNot
A website where one could upload their photo and be voted on whether or not they fit the beauty standards of the time period. - Joshua Stevenson -
Social Media Launches
Most of today's websites were launches in the early 2000's. They have impacted many media sites and shaped what we know about history. - Joshua Stevenson -
Wikipedia
Wikipedia launches in 2001 creating an informational website and domain where anyone can enter information they have learned about the topic. - Joshua Stevenson -
MySpace
A website where "dm'ing" officially started. It allowed others to connect with their friends and family. - Joshua Stevenson -
Gmail
Google creates Gmail, allowing messages and information to be sent in letter form through the internet. Occupations and schools utilize emails to this day. - Joshua Stevenson -
Yahoo, Flickr, WordPress,
2005 was truly the kick-off year for social media to take shape. Different websites, servers, and internet services began gaining popularity. - Joshua Stevenson -
Twitter
Originally known as Twttr, Twitter launched with the first tweet from co-founder Jack Dorsey, “just setting up my twttr.” - Nicole Golubski -
The Facebook
Facebook Gains Popularity: Facebook shifts from being a platform exclusively for Harvard graduates and alumni to being open for everyone globally. This year was also the launch of their newsfeed feature. - Nicole Golubski -
Youtube and Tumblr; The place for Content Creators
Started by 17-year old David Karp, Tumblr launches as a micro-blogging platform, allowing users to share posts, pictures, and videos. In addition, still being utilized today, YouTube launched their partnership program with their most popular content creators, allowing both to profit through advertising on creator’s channels. - Nicole Golubski -
#Hashtag
The use of hashtags made it possible to track topics using the symbol and the phrase that followed, which was greatly beneficial to raising awareness of political and social issues. (Ex: #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #Brexit) - Nicole Grobuski -
The IPhone
The iPhone, Apples first big product was released in 2007 and has now become one of the most popular phone brands in the world. - Alora Crayden -
Weibo
ina Weibo, also known as Weibo, launches its micro-blogging site in China. Weibo shared similarities with Facebook and Twitter and launched after the sites were banned in the country. - Nicole Grobuski -
Instagram
The photo and video sharing social media entered the scene, though it was launched with a focus on photos taken from mobile devices. - Nicole Grobuski -
Pinterest
Pinterest was launched, allowing users to share images and save themto different themed boards created by each individual user (Ex: Food, Home Décor, DIY), - Nicole Grobuski -
Snapchat
The application Snapchat opened the window for social media. I say this because there were no boundaries that separated social media from your day-to-day life. Snapchat allowed any user to post exactly what they were doing at any given moment and it disappears after 24 hours. Messages to friends disappear instantly. The app also drew on the teenage population mainly because they did not have to worry about parents or older relatives being on Snapchat. - Brandon Snyder -
Social Media Sparks Change
On January 25, 2011 the Tahrir Square Uprising occurred in Egypt, a clash between Egyptian citizens, and their Dictator Hosni Mubarak. Many protestors took to Twitter and Facebook to communicate and organize with each other to continue their cause. This sparked a huge movement throughout many middle eastern countries during the following spring and summer. Their were many hashtags used in many posts during that time like: #Egypt#Libya and #protest. - Brandon Snyder -
Microsoft Buys Skype
Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion. - Nicole Golubski -
Vine
In 2012 vine was created which allowed for 1-6 second videos to be posted. Many content creators on youtube gained their fame from this app. - Alora Crayden -
Live Streaming - Twitch
In 2015 Livestreaming started to make a name for itself with the app Meerkat. Livestreaming had existed before this with Twitch being created in 2011 for live streaming professional gamers but it did not become big until 2015. Meerkat was short-lived though and was replaced by Periscope which was developed by Twitter. Livestreaming revolutionized the way people could watch live events and lead to many popular vloggers and professional video game players arising. - Brandon Snyder -
Tik Tok
One of the world's most used apps currently is Tik Tok which was created in 2016. Which allowed users to post a 15 second video. - Alora Crayden -
Instagram and Facebook Live
Facebook announced the launch of Facebook Live and Instagram brought their Instagram Stories feature into play. Both of these features allowed for their users to stream live directly from their profiles for their friends and followers to see. They also allowed for pictures or videos to be posted that would then expire and be deleted after 24 hours. Instagram provided many filters, stickers, and hashtags to be put onto the stories and Facebook soon followed that trend. - Brandon Snyder -
Fake News
Fake News flooded the social media sphere all over the world during 2016. Fake News is misinformation and false claims that are generated/distributed by accounts like trolls, fakes, and sources from other countries. There is proof that Russian sources were helping with the creation of these fake accounts. They were created to spew false information throughout the Americas in order to confuse the American people about what was true and false. - Brandon Snyder
