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The first social media website launched, SixDegrees.com. You could create a profile and send messages within networks. -
The website called AmIHotorNot.com would allow users to rate each other on attractiveness. -
The website Friendster was designed to be a dating site where you could set people up with friends in common. The website exploded too fast and the servers were unable to keep up with the high traffic. -
Young people began to take over the website Myspace. You could customize your profile and it was open to the public. The website became popular until it was bought out by NewsCorp. -
"The Facebook" launched by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 changed names to just "Facebook" in 2005. The website remains extremely popular even 20 years later. -
Youtube offically launched allowing users to post long and short form videos for the public to view. -
Twitter began as a website text message-based tool for sending status updates to friends. Twitter was famously bought by Elon musk and changed to X. -
The hastag was born which helped people gather together on a topic. Political and social justice movements were rallied behind hastags. -
The popular Chinese website Weibo, is a blend of Twitter and Facebook. The website launched due to Facebook and Twitter being banned in China. -
Grindr was the first networking app for dating, directed towards gay and bisexual men. -
Instagram was designed for users to post photos online, and has become the most downloaded app around the world. -
Twitch launched in 2011 which was monumental for video gamers. Twitch allows streamers to live stream their games and users are able to watch, which can lead to donations and subscriptions for the gamers. -
Snapchat was launched , initially called "Picaboo", which allowed users to post pictures that vanished after 24 hours. -
Pinterest began and pinning things you like on your Pinterest board has become extremely popular. The website still remains popular today. -
Facebook reached one billion users, and also made the decision to buy Instagram. -
Patreon changed the game for creators. This website was designed for creators to monetize their content through paid subscriptions. -
Slack was released and allowed workers within corporations to socialize with one another. -
Vine launched allowing users to post six second videos. Unfortunately for Vine, the website did not last long. -
Twitter developed Periscope, which was the most popular app for live streaming. Now the most popular apps like TikTok and Facebook are able to livestream, making Periscope outdated. -
Instagram followed Snapchat and allowed users to post photos that disappeared after 24 hours. -
Fake social media accounts were used for spreading disinformation. It was found that Russia interfered with the U.S. election through "troll accounts". -
Twitter made the decision to increase the character limit of posts from 140 to 280 characters.
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TikTok is still extremely popular today, which allows users to post videos and interact on posts. -
Facebook allowed a researcher from Cambridge Analytica, to obtain data from 50 million users without their consent. Mark Zuckerberg faced five days of hearings in front of the U.S. Congress. -
Shops were introduced that allowed users to purchase in-app easily. Social commerce began. -
Elon Musk famously buys Twitter, and the name is changed to X.