Episode 9: The Evolution of Social Media: From ARPANET to TikTok

Speaker: 00:00:02

Welcome to another episode of It Started

Somewhere, the podcast where we discover

2

: 00:00:06

the history behind the familiar.

3

: 00:00:09

I'm your host, Shaimond, and today we're

exploring the history of social media.

4

: 00:00:15

So let's journey through time

to discover how we got here.

5

: 00:00:18

Long before we were swiping, liking,

or sharing, the seeds of social media

6

: 00:00:24

were being planted in the fertile

soil of technological innovation.

7

: 00:00:29

While many trace the roots of social

media to the invention of the telegraph

8

: 00:00:33

in 1844, our story really begins in the

late 60s with the emergence of ARPANET.

9

: 00:00:39

ARPANET, the precursor to the modern

internet, was a groundbreaking

10

: 00:00:44

network that allowed computers

to communicate with each other.

11

: 00:00:48

This laid the foundation for the digital

connections we now take for granted.

12

: 00:00:53

But it wasn't until the 1970s that

things really started to heat up.

13

: 00:00:58

The 1970s and eighties saw the rapid

growth of the internet setting the

14

: 00:01:02

stage for the social media revolution.

15

: 00:01:06

As personal computers became more common

in the: 1980

16

: 00:01:11

to explore new ways to connect online.

17

: 00:01:14

One of the earliest forms of

online social interaction was

18

: 00:01:17

through bulletin boards, BBS.

19

: 00:01:20

These were computer servers that

allowed users to connect via

20

: 00:01:24

telephone lines to exchange messages,

share files, and play games.

21

: 00:01:30

It was primitive by today's standards,

but it was a glimpse into the future

22

: 00:01:34

of digital social interaction.

23

: 00:01:37

Now let's fast forward to 1997.

24

: 00:01:40

Bill Clinton was president.

25

: 00:01:42

The Spice Girls were dominating

the charts, and a little website

26

: 00:01:46

called Six Degrees made its debut.

27

: 00:01:49

Six Degrees is widely considered

the first true social media

28

: 00:01:53

platform, and it's named after the

Six Degrees of Separation Theory.

29

: 00:01:59

Six degrees peaked at about 3.

30

: 00:02:00

5 million users, which might not sound

like much compared to today's giants,

31

: 00:02:05

but it was groundbreaking for its time.

32

: 00:02:08

As we entered the new millennium,

social media began to explode.

33

: 00:02:13

In 2002, Friendster launched

and quickly gained popularity.

34

: 00:02:17

It was like Six Degrees on steroids,

allowing users to share photos, videos,

35

: 00:02:23

and messages with their networks.

36

: 00:02:26

But the real game changer came in

: 2003

37

: 00:02:31

MySpace took the social media world

by storm, becoming the most visited

38

: 00:02:36

website in the United States by 2006.

39

: 00:02:39

It introduced many features

we now consider standard, like

40

: 00:02:43

customizable profiles and the

ability to embed music players.

41

: 00:02:48

Who can forget the agony of

choosing your perfect MySpace song?

42

: 00:02:53

While MySpace was dominating, a little

e called Facebook launched in: 2004

43

: 00:02:59

Initially limited to college students,

Facebook quickly expanded and eventually

44

: 00:03:04

opened up to everyone in 2006.

45

: 00:03:08

It's clean interface and innovative

features like the newsfeed helped

46

: 00:03:12

it overtake MySpace by 2008.

47

: 00:03:15

Around the same time, other

platforms that will become

48

: 00:03:18

household names were also emerging.

49

: 00:03:21

LinkedIn launched in 2003, focusing

on professional networking.

50

: 00:03:26

YouTube, debuted in 2005 revolutionizing

online video sharing, and in: 2006

51

: 00:03:34

little blue bird named Twitter hatched,

limiting users to 140 character tweets.

52

: 00:03:39

The launch of the iPhone in

: 2007

53

: 00:03:42

point in social media history.

54

: 00:03:45

Suddenly, we could access our

favorite platforms anytime, anywhere.

55

: 00:03:50

This mobile revolution paved the

way for photo sharing apps like

56

: 00:03:53

Instagram, which launched in 2010.

57

: 00:03:56

and was acquired by Facebook

for a billion dollars in: 2012

58

: 00:04:00

As we moved into the 2010s, social media

continued to evolve at a breakneck pace.

59

: 00:04:07

Snapchat introduced

disappearing messages in: 2011

60

: 00:04:11

Changing the game for

how we share moments.

61

: 00:04:14

Pinterest launched the same year,

becoming a hub for visual inspiration.

62

: 00:04:20

And let's not forget about the newest kid

he block, TikTok, launched in: 2016

63

: 00:04:25

TikTok exploded in popularity,

gaining about 20 million new

64

: 00:04:29

users per month in its early days.

65

: 00:04:32

It's rapid rise is a testament

of how quickly the social

66

: 00:04:35

media landscape can change.

67

: 00:04:37

Now let's take a step back and

consider the profound impact social

68

: 00:04:40

media has had on our society.

69

: 00:04:43

It's transformed the way we

communicate, share information, and

70

: 00:04:48

even how we view ourselves and others.

71

: 00:04:50

On the positive side, social media has

made it easier than ever to stay connected

72

: 00:04:54

with friends and family across the globe.

73

: 00:04:57

It's given a voice to marginalized

groups and facilitated social

74

: 00:05:01

and political movements.

75

: 00:05:03

Remember the Arab Spring

or the Me Too movement?

76

: 00:05:07

Social media played a crucial role in

spreading awareness and organizing action.

77

: 00:05:12

Social media has also revolutionized

business and marketing.

78

: 00:05:16

It's created new job opportunities

from social media managers to

79

: 00:05:20

influencers who make a living by

sharing content with their followers.

80

: 00:05:25

But it's not all likes and shares.

81

: 00:05:27

Social media has also brought challenges.

82

: 00:05:30

The spread of misinformation and fake news

has become a more significant concern.

83

: 00:05:35

There are also growing worries about

privacy and data security, especially

84

: 00:05:39

after scandals like Cambridge Analytica.

85

: 00:05:42

Perhaps most concerning is the impact

of social media on mental health,

86

: 00:05:46

particularly among young people.

87

: 00:05:49

Studies have linked excessive social

media use to increased anxiety,

88

: 00:05:53

Depression and feelings of loneliness.

89

: 00:05:57

The constant exposure to curated,

seemingly perfect lives of

90

: 00:06:01

others can lead to unhealthy

comparisons and low self esteem.

91

: 00:06:05

So where do we go from here?

92

: 00:06:07

As we speak, new platforms

and technology are emerging.

93

: 00:06:11

Virtual and augmented reality are

opening up new possibilities for

94

: 00:06:15

social interaction with digital spaces.

95

: 00:06:18

Artificial intelligence is being

integrated into social media in ways

96

: 00:06:22

we're only beginning to understand.

97

: 00:06:25

But as social media continues

to evolve, so too does our

98

: 00:06:28

understanding of its effects.

99

: 00:06:30

There's a growing push for more

responsible use of these platforms, both

100

: 00:06:34

by users and companies that created them.

101

: 00:06:38

Many are calling for stronger

privacy protections and measures to

102

: 00:06:41

combat the spread of misinformation.

103

: 00:06:44

From the early days of ARPANET to the

TikTok dances of today, the history

104

: 00:06:49

of social media is a story of rapid

innovation and profound cultural change.

105

: 00:06:55

It's a technology that has brought us

closer together in many ways, while also

106

: 00:06:59

presenting new challenges and complexities

in how we relate to one another.

107

: 00:07:04

As we look to the future,

one thing is certain.

108

: 00:07:07

Social media will continue to shape

our world in ways we can't yet imagine.

109

: 00:07:12

The one question is, how

will we shape it in return?

110

: 00:07:16

And that, dear listeners, is where the

story of social media stands today.

111

: 00:07:21

It started somewhere in the labs of

early computer scientists, in the

112

: 00:07:26

dorm rooms of college students, and

has grown into a force that touches

113

: 00:07:30

nearly every aspect of our lives.

114

: 00:07:32

This has been It Started Somewhere,

and I'm Shaimond, reminding you that

115

: 00:07:37

every big thing has a beginning.

116

: 00:07:40

Until next time, keep exploring,

keep connecting, and maybe take a

117

: 00:07:45

moment to put down your phone and

connect with someone face to face.

118

: 00:07:48

After all, that's where social media

truly begin, with our foundational human

119

: 00:07:52

desire to connect with one another.

120

: 00:07:55

I'll catch you on the next episode.