Text: History and Development of Social Media

Online networking dates to the late 1960’s with ARPANET, which was created by the US department of Defense, but social media as we know it today stems from the emergence of sites such as SixDegrees.com and Friendster, in the 90’s. These platforms allowed individuals to create online profiles and connect with friends, similarly to the renowned Facebook, showing an early desire for online presence. Shortly after, in the late 1990s, blogging started to be popular and with that came more content as a legitimized form of media.

Social media has changed the way in which we communicate, connect and share information in our daily lives. It allows individuals to connect with friends and family around the world and share opinions and thoughts with a wider community and online communities. At the same time, it has also brought about new social norms, such as constant connectivity and the need for instant gratification. This also affects the nature and speed of news and how media circulates online. With this, there have been new forms of social activism, evident from the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement and Me Too. The rise of social media has also had a vast impact on businesses, guiding them to have a strong online presence to stay relevant. This has also changed the way businesses do their marketing communication, including customer service and advertising.

1) Why has Facebook fallen out of favor with Gen Z/your generation? What does FB do well?
2) Why is IG more popular across generations than FB?