Social media has become an important part of our lives in the past few decades and it is not about to end because it is just the start of its era.
Social media is a form of media on which the public can share their content and opinion. It allows all people to connect with each other with the help of social media platforms.
Many social media platforms are being used for this purpose and many platforms are being added in the long run list of it. People who don’t have much credibility to reach peers can also get credibility and raise their voice on social media. In this blog post we will discuss how social media evolved and how did it impacted our society.
History of social media
History of social media is not much longer as it came into existence in the late 20th century. With the rise of the internet people started connecting themselves to online communities and that was the time when all it started. Bulletin Board Systems and online forums were the very first platforms which were used for social networking.
However, there was not a single platform which could be used as a proper social sharing platform till the emergence of web 2.0.
Social sharing platforms before 2000 were not like as we are using nowadays. Those platforms were similar to online discussion forums and communities. And here is a sort overview of those platforms:
- Internet Relay Chat was a very famous platform which was used for online chat.
- Usenet was used in a way as we use Twitter nowadays. It enabled users to share different news in the community. People could share their opinion and connect with each other on this platform.
- Instant Messenger was used in a similar way as we use Facebook messenger now. It was the messenger of that time.
There were more options available for the users along with all these options but now we have a large variety of these platforms and opt out which we would like to use.
Rise and growth of social media
After the end of 20th century and beginning of 21st century a boom was noticed in the number of users of social media platforms.
Especially if we sort out the list of modern social sharing platforms then we will come to know that Facebook was a big revolution even though LinkedIn came before it.
In 2003 LinkedIn was introduced but its main purpose was to facilitate professionals so that they can attract clients for their business.
Facebook came after one year of the launch of LinkedIn. The reason why it got much fame was that it was unique in its features and it was the first platform which got much popularity on internet.
YouTube was launched in 2006 and it was specified to video sharing. Now around a Billion of users are using this platform for video sharing and many of them are earning their living through it.
Twitter, which allowed users to follow other users and share short messages, was also a famous platform of that time. All of these platforms were launched in the early ages of social media but it would be wrong to say that these platforms are old because these social media platforms are used commonly even now.
Growth of new social media platform
Above mentioned social media platforms were launched in the early stages of social media and now we have many different types of social media platforms like:
- Instagram: It is used for image sharing, content sharing and messaging.
- Snapchat: It is used for sharing images, videos, posts and for messaging.
- Discord: It is used for live streaming and messaging.
- Whatsapp: This platform is famous for instant messaging and calling.
- Bigo live: Used for live calls and joining rooms.
- Tiktok: Used for sharing short videos and making videos over other’s sounds.
- Reddit: Used as an online community for submitting posts and asking questions.
- Pinterest: Used for sharing pins in the form of images.
And many more like these. Above mentioned platforms just cover an idea about which type of platforms exist on the internet.
Role of social media in connecting the world
Social media has helped a lot in connecting the world. All the people on the internet are connected but social media makes it easier to interact with people.
Those days are gone when you had to send letters for conversation with someone who was far away from you. Now you can connect yourself with anyone in the world and all it is possible due to social media.
It has connected all nations and now one can put his ideas in front of world very easily.
Social media and reshaping of society
It is amazing to see how people of different regions, religions, countries and speaking different languages are present on social media and sharing their thoughts with others.
It has changed the whole map of the world. As our family system connects each member of the family similarly social media connects all members on it.
Having a better understanding of others beliefs and priorities is important because it helps us to understand others feelings and that is what social media does.
Potential of social media and its future impacts on society
As new platforms are coming in the digital market it has changed the way people think, live, interact and react. Proper interconnection is very important for a society and it helps to prosper in life. Social media is not just performing this but it is connecting people around the world.
It can not be used only for building connections rather it can also be used for spreading business and earning online.
Conclusion
In short, without social media it could be impossible for us to be where we are. The way in which it has reshaped the world and connected the sentiments of all people is amazing. We expect further advancement in this field in coming times.
