Today, when you want to connect with a friend, family member, colleague, or even a customer, it’s as simple as opening an app or sending a quick message, thanks to social network platforms.

But imagine a world where staying in touch meant writing a letter by hand, waiting days or weeks for a reply, or scheduling face-to-face meetings to stay updated. 

Let’s travel back in time and explore the fascinating history of social media — how it started, all the milestones along the way, and how it’s transformed into the vibrant, digital world we know today.

What are the key social media milestones and innovations?

The history of social media: From basic networks to marketing giants 

Social media didn’t appear out of nowhere—it’s been evolving for over five decades. Over the years, it has transformed how people connect and businesses reach their audiences. For marketers, knowing this history isn’t just about looking back; it’s about unlocking smarter, more creative strategies that deliver real results.

You might be surprised to learn that social media’s origins date back over 50 years, starting with some truly groundbreaking technology.

The creation of ARPANET (1969)

Pre-internet online communication dates back to the 1960s. During the Cold War between the United States (U.S.) and the Soviet Union, the United States Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) designed ARPANET to create a decentralized communication system to facilitate communication between research institutions and military installations. 

ARPANET is known as the first operational packet-switching network. In packet-switching, data or information is divided into small packets and sent separately across the network, allowing computers to send and receive multiple packets simultaneously. Without ARPANET, none of today’s social networks would exist.

Bulletin board systems (BBS) (1978)

Following the creation of ARPANET, Ward Christensen and Randy Suess created the first BBS, the computerized bulletin board system (CBBS), in 1978. 

CBBS was the first non-military computer-based community that allowed users to share information. They were essentially electronic versions of physical bulletin boards you might see in workplaces, coffee shops, gyms, and other public locations. 

Source: PCMag

Classmates.com (1995)

Randy Conrads started classmates.com in 1995 — a new website on the internet to reconnect with people he went to school with. Conrads incorporated features like member profiles and friends lists on a subscription model. 

Today, on classmates.com, users can sign up and create profiles to reconnect with long-lost high school friends, browse digital yearbooks, and organize or find out information about upcoming reunions. 

SixDegrees.com (1997)

In 1996, an attorney named Andrew Weinreich and a group of friends began designing SixDegrees.com. After brainstorming and developing the network platform, Weinreich launched SixDegrees.com in 1997.

Unsurprisingly, SixDegrees.com originated from the six degrees of separation theory proposed by writer Frigyes Karinthy in 1929.  On SixDegrees.com, users could create profiles, send messages, and post bulletin board items to people in their first-, second-, and third-degree connections.

Source: BBC News

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) (1997)

AIM was a pioneer in online communication, specifically instant messaging. AOL launched AIM in May 1997 as a stand-alone application, enabling anyone with an internet connection to chat and communicate with others in real time. 

Users create profiles with AIM Screen Names (or usernames that allow them to distinguish themselves). The tool’s most distinctive feature was the “Buddy List,” which displayed a user’s friends and their online status so they could quickly see who was available to chat. AIM also offered chat rooms for public and private group conversations. 

AIM left a significant mark on today’s online communication norms and language by introducing features like online status, profiles, and group messaging that are standard in many social media platforms today.

Source: MIT Technology Review

When did social media become popular: Rise of social networks 

Services like AIM declined as social media platforms surged in the early 2000s. Below is a history of the century’s most influential early social media networks.

Friendster (2002)

In 2002, a Canadian computer programmer named Jonathan Abrams founded the social networking site Friendster. Friendster was a service for connecting with contacts, dating, and discovering events. It launched in 2003 and quickly attracted millions of members. 

In 2011, Friendster relaunched as a social gaming platform before the platform’s eventual shutdown in 2015, followed by the company’s shutdown later in 2018.

MySpace (2003)

Chris DeWolfe, Tom Anderson, and Jon Hart launched MySpace in 2003, the first social network with a global audience. MySpace allowed users to customize their profile pages with unique backgrounds, designed page cursors, music players, and other HTML code. 

People used it to keep in touch with friends, showcase their “best friends” via a top eight friends list, and find potential romantic partners. It was an instant hit until Facebook came along shortly after. 

Source: The Atlantic

Former MySpace users likely recognize co-founder and “former first friend on MySpace,” Tom Anderson. Today, he occasionally shares life updates on Instagram. 

LinkedIn (2003)

Reid Hoffman and his co-founders Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant officially launched LinkedIn in 2003. It is a professional social networking site with over one billion members in 200 countries. 

Working professionals and job seekers use LinkedIn to grow their networks and search for new positions. Businesses use it to increase brand awareness, identify new talent, and share insights about their company culture. 

LinkedIn introduced features like endorsements, recommendations, and job boards (similar to previous bulletin boards) to enhance its functionality and user value. Unlike other networks that focus on personal life, LinkedIn focuses on careers and business networking. This makes it perfect for B2B marketers, recruiters, and companies wanting to showcase their expertise.

Facebook (2004)

Harvard University students, including the well-known Mark Zuckerberg, founded Facebook in 2004. Alongside Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes co-founded Facebook, originally known as “TheFacebook.”

They limited the original site to Harvard students to connect students across the university, similar to an online student directory with photos and basic information about the students. While millions of people use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, the platform also offers powerful business tools. Companies can create dedicated pages, run targeted advertising campaigns, and engage directly with customers, making Facebook a key channel for personal connection and marketing success.

YouTube (2005)

YouTube is the most recognized video-sharing social networking site that allows users to build communities through video content. Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim founded YouTube in 2005, and today, the platform is home to user-generated videos and professional productions across any topic. 

YouTube has significantly influenced video and entertainment content and paved the way for becoming a social networking site and a significant platform for educational information and marketing content. YouTube is a versatile channel for both organic reach and paid advertising.

Source: Business Insider

X (formerly known as Twitter) (2006)

Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams founded Twitter in 2006. They created it for microblogging, providing users a platform to post short updates. It became famous for its real-time information sharing as many people turned to it for news updates, sharing opinions, and obtaining live information on current events around the globe. 

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The evolution of social media in the 2010s

Further into the 2010s, social media platforms evolved with an emphasis on visual content sharing, real-time interaction, and video virality.

Instagram (2010)

Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger founded Instagram in 2010. The platform became known for its square 1:1 photo and video-sharing capabilities. Early users might recall the pre-loaded photo filter options for enhancing images. Due to its simplicity and focus on visual content, the platform quickly grew in popularity. Today, it’s a significant player in social media, particularly in influencer marketing. 

Pinterest (2010)

Another visual content-focused platform, Pinterest, was founded in 2010 by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp. Pinterest allows users to create and share collections of visual content and images, called “pins,” organized on boards similar to a physical bulletin board. It became known as a go-to source for hobby and crafting inspiration as it allows users to explore and save ideas visually for quick reference. 

Snapchat (2011)

Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown launched the photo and video messaging app Snapchat in 2011. It introduced shareable images and videos that expire upon viewing them. Snapchat has attracted a young audience, encouraging connection via spontaneous and candid communication. The platform continues experimenting with new technological features, like augmented reality lenses, and other platforms like Facebook and Instagram have adopted the content functionality for which Snapchat is most well-known. 

TikTok (2016)

Formed by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok launched in 2016 and has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Users upload short-form videos, many of which are set to music and edited using a range of features inside the app.

TikTok surfaces personalized video recommendations, creating user-centric experiences that encourage users to stick around and scroll through the app for extensive periods. Despite facing some privacy challenges, TikTok continues to dominate short-form video. 

Source: TikTok

The social media timeline below summarizes the evolution of social media from the 90s.

Source: Broadband Search

How has social media transformed business from marketing to e-commerce?

Social media started as a way to connect people, but it quickly evolved into a business powerhouse. Brands realized they could reach and engage with customers directly. Consider Nike’s marketing strategy: instead of just broadcasting ads, Nike uses Instagram and Twitter to tell stories that resonate emotionally and spotlight athletes to promote social causes.  

Influencer marketing has also become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Beauty brands especially leverage micro-influencers on Instagram to build hype and trust, dramatically accelerating growth without traditional advertising budgets. TikTok influencers now regularly drive viral product trends, often causing items to sell out overnight. 

Social commerce, which involves buying directly within a social app, is booming. Platforms like Instagram shopping and Facebook Marketplace let users browse and purchase without even leaving the app. 

Customer service has also evolved. Brands like Delta Air Lines and Starbucks use Twitter and Facebook to provide real-time support, solve problems quickly, and publicly demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction. 

Social media’s business evolution is not about selling products; it is about creating communities, cultivating loyalty, and seamlessly blending entertainment with commerce.

What role have mobile devices played in social media growth?

Smartphones changed the game entirely. Before mobile apps and fast internet, social media was stuck behind desktop screens.

The launch of the iPhone in 2007 and the rise of Android devices created fertile ground for mobile-first platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. These apps leveraged mobile cameras, location data, and push notifications to fuel engagement like never before. 

Mobile connectivity also enabled new features like live streaming (Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and TikTok Live), real-time location sharing, and stories that disappear in 24 hours, formats designed for quick consumption and sharing throughout the day.

The rise of mobile social media has dramatically increased usage frequency and session length. People no longer wait to get home to browse; they check updates during commutes, breaks, and social outings, making social media a constant presence. 

How does social media usage vary around the world?

Social media usage varies widely worldwide: 

• China: Platforms like WeChat and Weibo dominate due to government restrictions on Western platforms.
• Russia: VKontakte (VK) is popular, offering a Facebook-like experience.
• India: WhatsApp and TikTok (before the ban) had massive user bases.
• Western Countries: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok lead.

Censorship, cultural norms, and internet access influence how social media shapes societies regionally.

Future trends in social media 

Social media is constantly evolving, and keeping up with the latest trends is key for marketers to stay competitive. Here’s what’s shaping the future right now:

1. AI is powering smarter personalization and automation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly running much of social media behind the scenes. Platforms like TikTok use AI algorithms to analyze user behavior and serve highly personalized content, keeping audiences engaged longer. This means your marketing content can reach the right people with less guesswork.

AI helps brands find the best influencers by matching creators’ audiences with marketing goals, making influencer campaigns more efficient. On top of that, AI-driven chatbots on platforms like Facebook Messenger provide instant, 24/7 customer service, answering FAQs and processing orders without human staff.

AI tools also help social platforms detect and remove harmful content, such as hate speech and misinformation. While these systems aren’t perfect and sometimes struggle with nuance, they’re critical for creating safer environments for users and brands.

2. Social commerce is growing fast

More people shop directly inside social apps like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Features like “Shop” buttons and in-app checkout make buying easy and seamless. Brands that build social stores and tag products in posts can turn engagement into sales quickly.

3. Video, especially short-form, continues to dominate

Video content attracts more attention than photos or text, and short videos (like TikTok clips and Instagram Reels) are compelling. Creating authentic, engaging videos will help your brand stand out and connect with audiences.

Social feeds, endless updates 

From early online communication mechanisms to instant messaging and user profile-based communities to visual content, the only constant in social media is how much it evolves. 

Internet censorship influences the information you see across social media platforms. Learn more about what it is and how to navigate it.

This article was originally published in 2024. It has been updated with new information.