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Bulletin board system was created before the internet and allowed users to interact with others through public message boards, Bolton boards, and voting polls. It was basically where people could upload and other people could reply to. The significance of this was that people could connect to others that shared the same interests as them forming online communities.
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American online was able to provide Internet service. It allowed users to access email, web, browsing, and most prominently instant messaging. The introduction of instant messaging to many people had an impact on how social media evolved.
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The World Wide Web changed communication, access of information, commerce, and many more. All of these allowing for more personalization and convenience. The World Wide Web made social media accessible and focused on the user.
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LinkedIn was launched. There were other job sites that connected employers to potential employees, but it did not have the networking capabilities that LinkedIn offered. I think LinkedIn changed the way networking working and self advertisement could be done.
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MySpace allowed users to connect globally. Users could chat with other people, upload photos, and personalize their account. The creation of MySpace gave way to the idea of self expression and connecting with others on online platforms.
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Facebook allowed people from all over the world to stay in touch. Many older people have Facebook whereas they do not have Instagram. Facebook also focused on targeted advertising based on user data.
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Twitter is a platform for short updates of information, images, or videos. Many times these information are in real time. It is a direct means of communication.
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Instagram specializes in users sharing photos and videos. It has created a huge market for businesses and advertising. It is also a platform that has been used to share news across the globe.
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Snapchat was the first social media platform where users could share stories that would disappear within a timeframe. Sending videos/images/text would also disappear. It created a non-permanent way to communicate.
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Became really popular during the pandemic but it was looked down on prior to the pandemic, especially in America. Platform specialized in short videos which led way for other social media to follow the same format. Many users experience never ending doom scrolling.
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Facebook marketplace is popular due to the convenience of listing items. Its focus on local sellers as well as the option to buy from someone farther away is also convenient. Facebook marketplace has become more popular as sustainability and reusing/reselling has gained traction.
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With the popularity of short videos that goes in a vertical loop, Instagram integrated their version known as reels. Reels have proven to be successful and created another way for people to share videos. This has again led to the question of short attention spans among people that are scrolling all day long.