#TBT: Where are they Now?
Social media is an ever-changing world in which trends move on quickly. There is always a danger of being left behind if we do not keep up-to-date with the latest changes in the world of all things social. Make sure to sign up to our #SchoolBytes newsletter and follow us on Twitter to receive your weekly dose of school marketing tips straight to your inbox.
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A Trip Down Social Media Memory Lane
The rise of social media has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the invention of the telegraph in 1792, we have been obsessed with sharing news and information. The invention of the telephone and radio in the late 1800s made our ways of communication much more sophisticated and connected the world on a level like never before.
The year is 1997, and the first social media channel Six Degrees is born. Although very basic, this platform allowed users to create a profile and find friends around the world. Just two years later, blogging became popular and it has risen in popularity ever since.
The millennials amongst us will remember the nostalgic days of turning on their computer and hearing that beautiful noise of the modem starting up. Heaven forbid somebody needed to make a phone call or it was goodbye Internet! Once our modem finally stopped whizzing and whirring, we would rush on to our old PC and load up MSN messenger to talk to our friends who we’d seen just an hour beforehand at school. We would spend our nights sharing videos with our friends from YouTube (Did you know: originally a dating site set up in 2005). From MSN & YouTube, then came signing up to Bebo, considered by many the first social media platform that really rose to fame. This fame was shortlived as many then moved on to MySpace to create their profiles, share their favourite music and wait impatiently for their next PC4PC.
The year is 2006 and Facebook and Twitter arrive for the world to use! Little did we know, the world of social media was to change forever. The conversation was no longer one way but became a two-way stream of communication, changing marketing forever. Niche platforms such as: Tumblr, Flickr and Pinterest came to the surface and filled the social media gap.
So, Where are they Now?
MSN Messenger: Closed down for good for most users in 2013 after Microsoft bought rival Skype.
Six Degrees: After peaking at around 3.5 million users, it was bought out for $125 million and shut down in 2001.
Myspace: Myspace is still going strong. However, its usage has changed and adapted to changing times. Myspace is now a place to showcase artists and their work. Take a look for yourself.
Bebo: Bebo.com went bankrupt in 2013 but this wasn’t the end! Bebo returned in 2014 as a platform ‘probably not for boring people’. Bebo was ultimately acquired by streaming software Twitch in October 2018.
YouTube: Just take a look for yourself at how popular this social media channel is!
Facebook: If Facebook were a country, it would be the largest country in the world… 😱
Twitter: Twitter continues to be one of the largest social media platforms, with over 330 million monthly active users!
QUIZ
CLUE to the final question:
Wanting to own social media but need extra help? Get in touch with our social team (social@interactiveschools.com) now and our team of #DigitalJedi will show you the way!