Social media has evolved greatly over the past several decades from early forms like phone phreaking and bulletin board systems (BBS) to modern platforms like Facebook and YouTube. BBSs in the late 1970s and 1980s allowed users to connect via phone modem for message boards and file sharing, representing an early form of social networking. The commercialization of the internet in the early 1990s along with the creation of the World Wide Web led to the development of early social media sites like AOL Instant Messenger, SixDegrees, and Friendster in the late 1990s and 2000s. Modern social media platforms now allow billions of users to connect and share information online.

1. THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL
MEDIA
By Cian Buckley

2. What is Social Media?
 Unclear – constantly evolving
 Wikipedia – “media for social interaction, using
highly accessible and scalable communication
techniques. Social media is the use of web-based
and mobile technologies to turn communication
into interactive dialogue”
 Social media is the tools, services, and
communication facilitating connection between
peers with common interests (Garret, 2011)

3. MODERN SOCIAL MEDIA
 1950’s – 60’s PhonePhreaking
 PhonePhreaks – hacking into unused
company test lines
 First “social media discussions” and virtual
seminars
 First form of blogging – unused voicemail
boxes
(copybrighter.com, 2011)

4. Bulletin Board Systems –
BBS’s
 1979 – Ward Christensen
 “small servers powered by personal
computers, attached to a telephone
modem, where one person at a time
could dial in and get access.” (copybrighter.com, 2011)
 First replicas of modern social
networking – message board
discussions, file downloads, games
 80’s- Underground feel
 BBS’s – adult content, pirate software,
anarchist movements

6. INTERNET & WORLD WIDE WEB
 Internet been around since 60’s
 US army
 1964-first commercial use
 Early 90’s available to the masses
 Prodigy & CompuServe early attempts
 Safe environment – open discussions and
sharing
 Napster – 1999-2001 – Sean Parker

7. YOU’VE GOT MAIL
 1998 AOL – first
instant messaging
 SixDegrees 1997
 Friendster 2002-
03
 MySpace 2004-06
 Facebook
SOCIAL NETWORKING

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0
UrnEo

9. THE FUTURE
 Nearly impossible to predict
 Facebook vs Google
 Phase out?
 Political Power – Arab Spring
…….Only time will tell