Most of the social media platforms you may remember will have been way before my time (and no this isn’t an attempt to parade my youth – I promise!), but along my journey, I have come to learn a lot more about the very early social media platforms and their importance in making social media what it is today. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Before social media was even a spec in the universe, chatrooms were the hot thing in town; a shiny new system that pioneered the way for later social media platforms to be developed.
I’m sure most of you have either heard or have experienced these chatrooms first-hand, but for some, it is quite hard to picture what these systems are like, so I will do my best to try and paint a clearer picture.
AOL Chatrooms were the first of their kind and brought the basics of modern-day social media to the limelight. Things such as real-time communication, user-driven communities and instant messaging all played a key role in crafting what social media has become today.
The chatrooms were bustling, digital social spaces, where you could just hop into a chatroom organised by different topics, such as sport, cooking, politics or even general chats.
After AOL Chatrooms had their time, they were succeeded by a bigger and more popular social media platform, and one that’s quite similar to modern-day social platforms that we see today.
MySpace (released in 2003), was the first of its kind, as it allowed users to customise profiles, share music and interact publicly. This allowed people to share and build intimate moments and communities with each other, which is what makes social media thrive.
MySpace was the biggest fish in the pond for a good five years before Mr Zuckerberg came along and stole the show, that is. From the minute Facebook surpassed MySpace in monthly users, the platform’s decline was rapid. At its peak, it was valued at $12 billion, however, the latest recorded figure was in 2011 when Justin Timberlake and Specific Media purchased it for just $35 million. Its value dropped by over $11 billion in just three years, which does a scarily good job of highlighting how quickly things can become popular, but more importantly, how quickly they die!
The main cause of Facebook’s huge success and domination was when it introduced News Feeds in 2006, a revolutionary feature that became the founding feature and inspiration for all of today’s most popular social media platforms.
With attention spans on social media getting shorter and shorter after the introduction of Facebook’s news feeds, the natural progression was visual platforms. This is where Instagram and Pinterest wiped the floor with their new and exciting visual layout, capturing attention instantly and hooking users in. Instagram has continued to develop with trends and has stayed in the top 5 most popular social platforms in the world since it was released 14 years ago.
Almost a year later, Snapchat was released, and with it, an entirely new approach to social interaction: temporary content. Snapchat set itself apart by focusing on disappearing photos and videos, which allowed users to share moments without the permanence that other platforms offered. This idea of ‘in-the-moment’ content not only encouraged spontaneity, but also resonated with younger audiences who craved authenticity and a more private experience online. Snapchat’s “Stories” feature, which let users compile snaps into a 24-hour story, would soon become one of the most significant innovations in social media.
Recognising the appeal of temporary, short-form content, other platforms took note. Instagram launched its own version of Stories in 2016, sparking the trend of “story” features across platforms and paving the way for the rise of short-form content. Today, Snapchat remains a popular platform with unique features like Snap Maps, AR lenses and Spotlight, all of which keep it in the mix, even as new players emerge. Snapchat’s pioneering of temporary content not only influenced competitors but also reshaped how users approach sharing moments online, helping to shift social media from a place of highlight reels to more authentic, in-the-moment experiences.
After Meta (formerly known as Facebook, who acquired Instagram in 2012) saw the success of short-form content consumption platforms (cough cough – TikTok), they pulled an absolute blinder in 2020 with the release of IG Reels. This was a brilliant decision, I have to say, and allowed Instagram to not get left in the dirt and stay right up at the top.
The next honourable and worthy mention is TikTok. Without a doubt, TikTok has changed the social media space with its short-form content forever and, unless something drastic happens soon, it will continue to do so for a long time, despite the release of reels on Facebook & Instagram, as well as spotlights on Snapchat.
Social media is not only a place to communicate and unwind after a long day, but it is also something that is so embedded into daily life. With news turning more to social media to target a whole other demographic as well as businesses marketing on these platforms, it is safe to say that social media has earned its place as one of the greatest technological advancements of all time.
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