Social Media Day: How communication has developed virtually
Living in the 21st century, nobody can deny the immense power of social media. While it is surely one of the best ways of communication, social media has also become a tool for spreading news quicker than ever. Another very important aspect of social media is that it has now become a valid source of income for thousands across the globe.
Creation of Social Media Day
People spend an average of 144 minutes on social media every day! To acknowledge its impact on society over the years, Mashable launched Social Media Day on June 30, 2010. Mashable uses social media to connect various cultures and movements which is why they wanted a celebratory day. People use the hashtag, #SMDay on this day every year on their social media posts.
First-ever social media platform
The first social media platform ever was Sixdegrees which was launched in 1997. The website founded by Andrew Weinreich had profiles, school affiliations, and the likes of usual social media accounts. It also allowed users to list friends and family members. Sixdegrees at its highest had over a million users but was eventually shut down in 2001.
Early social media platforms
Friendster was the first modern social media platform and was launched in 2002. It allowed people to make new friends but later transformed into a social gaming site. LinkedIn, the first business-focused social media platform, was launched in 2003. Google-operated Orkut was launched in 2004 and became extremely popular in India. The same year, MySpace and Facebook were also launched.
Present social media heavyweights
At present, it's safe to say the world of social media is ruled by Facebook (2004), YouTube (2005), Twitter (2006), WhatsApp (2009), Instagram (2010), Snapchat (2011), and TikTok (2016, the latest addition). Among these, Facebook purchased Instagram and WhatsApp in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Each of these platforms supports social networking, sharing of information and ideas through virtual communities in their unique way.
