The story of around 25 years of social media

Social media platforms and apps have inevitably found a permanent place in our everyday lives. Some of these services have been with us for quite a long time. Others are slowly being forgotten.

Can you still remember when you first came into contact with Facebook or YouTube?

Messenger services

In the beginning there was ICQ… – “Ah-oh” – can you still remember the unique ICQ notification tone? Or if there was a knock, as if someone was waiting on the inside of the screen to be let in (or out?).

ICQ – one of the messenger services that was used to connect people from computer to computer in the 1990s. There are still numerous ICQ users today who still know their ICQ number from back then by heart.

Today, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and some other messenger apps dominate.

Blogs – Publish your own texts on the web

The media landscape was about to change in the USA in the 1990s.
Users were able to create their own blogs with numerous providers. Their stories, stories and experiences should suddenly be easily visible to everyone on the Internet. In 2003, for example, the blogging platform WordPress was launched, which is now used to design not only blogs but entire websites.

The microblogging service Twitter was launched in 2006. Initially you had up to 140 characters to formulate your message. Users now have 280 characters available. Although Twitter is struggling with competition, it is an integral part of the “upper echelon” of social networks.

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Social media platforms

StudiVZ, the “meeting point” for students on the web, was launched in 2005.
The site was similar to Facebook, which hardly anyone in Germany had registered with at the time.

Facebook went online in 2004. It was only years later that the social media giant would achieve its breakthrough in Germany. In 2011, Facebook finally replaced studiVZ and is still an integral part of the everyday lives of many users today.

Video portals – produce or consume yourself

YouTube, the popular video platform, went online in 2005. Videos can be uploaded here with little effort. The way was paved for creators of music videos, tutorials and anything else that would be published with moving images and sound.

A completely different format when it comes to video went online in 2018: TikTok started as the successor to musical.ly. Although concerns about data protection, espionage and censorship have repeatedly been raised about TikTok, this app has spread faster than any other in the world.

Snapchat

Snapchat was founded in 2011. Quick pictures that you share with friends and that delete themselves after a certain time - that's what makes this app special. Other media portals also use this option.

Social media without photos – unthinkable

Of course, classic image platforms exist outside of the hustle and bustle of social media. But with Instagram, a photo platform was supposed to find its permanent place among the social networks in 2012.

Posting and commenting on photos was previously possible on Flickr. However, the editing options on Instagram are a particularly popular tool; initially there were even “Instafilters” to download for various cell phones so that you could take your own photos directly in the “Insta look”.

With this app you can travel anonymously

Probably the most anonymous app ever was launched in 2014: Jodel. Here, users write comments or send pictures – completely anonymously. Here you will find strange comments as well as philosophical digressions and cooking tips.

If you look at this list, you will notice how quickly social media has manifested itself in our everyday lives. Social media life is a fast-paced one. We should look at this list again in five years and probably smile at what we dealt with in 2020.

You might also be interested in: Google Maps brings a Facebook-like feed. Users receive updates from stores and other users depending on their preferences. - Continue reading…


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )