The document discusses the history and development of social media and connectivity online. It notes that initially, users were drawn to social media sites to fulfill a need for human connection (paragraph 1). This connectivity then allowed platforms to build profitable online markets. After the creation of the World Wide Web in 1991, more interactive and two-way platforms for online social connections emerged after 2000 (paragraph 2). Everything once shared privately, like family photos, became publicly shared. The document outlines different types of social media and discusses how platforms and social practices evolved together. It also notes how connectivity became quantifiable through metrics like likes and followers (paragraph 3). While early platforms encouraged participation and peer production, they became larger and harder to regulate after 2005 as