Speaker:
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Welcome to another episode of It Started
Somewhere, the podcast where we discover
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the history behind the familiar.
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I'm your host, Shaimond, and today we're
exploring the history of social media.
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So let's journey through time
to discover how we got here.
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Long before we were swiping, liking,
or sharing, the seeds of social media
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were being planted in the fertile
soil of technological innovation.
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While many trace the roots of social
media to the invention of the telegraph
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in 1844, our story really begins in the
late 60s with the emergence of ARPANET.
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ARPANET, the precursor to the modern
internet, was a groundbreaking
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network that allowed computers
to communicate with each other.
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This laid the foundation for the digital
connections we now take for granted.
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But it wasn't until the 1970s that
things really started to heat up.
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The 1970s and eighties saw the rapid
growth of the internet setting the
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stage for the social media revolution.
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As personal computers became more common
in the:
1980
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to explore new ways to connect online.
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One of the earliest forms of
online social interaction was
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through bulletin boards, BBS.
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These were computer servers that
allowed users to connect via
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telephone lines to exchange messages,
share files, and play games.
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It was primitive by today's standards,
but it was a glimpse into the future
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of digital social interaction.
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Now let's fast forward to 1997.
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Bill Clinton was president.
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The Spice Girls were dominating
the charts, and a little website
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called Six Degrees made its debut.
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Six Degrees is widely considered
the first true social media
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platform, and it's named after the
Six Degrees of Separation Theory.
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Six degrees peaked at about 3.
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5 million users, which might not sound
like much compared to today's giants,
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but it was groundbreaking for its time.
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As we entered the new millennium,
social media began to explode.
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In 2002, Friendster launched
and quickly gained popularity.
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It was like Six Degrees on steroids,
allowing users to share photos, videos,
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and messages with their networks.
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But the real game changer came in
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2003
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MySpace took the social media world
by storm, becoming the most visited
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website in the United States by 2006.
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It introduced many features
we now consider standard, like
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customizable profiles and the
ability to embed music players.
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Who can forget the agony of
choosing your perfect MySpace song?
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While MySpace was dominating, a little
e called Facebook launched in:
2004
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Initially limited to college students,
Facebook quickly expanded and eventually
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opened up to everyone in 2006.
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It's clean interface and innovative
features like the newsfeed helped
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it overtake MySpace by 2008.
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Around the same time, other
platforms that will become
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household names were also emerging.
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LinkedIn launched in 2003, focusing
on professional networking.
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YouTube, debuted in 2005 revolutionizing
online video sharing, and in:
2006
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little blue bird named Twitter hatched,
limiting users to 140 character tweets.
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The launch of the iPhone in
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2007
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point in social media history.
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Suddenly, we could access our
favorite platforms anytime, anywhere.
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This mobile revolution paved the
way for photo sharing apps like
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Instagram, which launched in 2010.
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and was acquired by Facebook
for a billion dollars in:
2012
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As we moved into the 2010s, social media
continued to evolve at a breakneck pace.
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Snapchat introduced
disappearing messages in:
2011
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Changing the game for
how we share moments.
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Pinterest launched the same year,
becoming a hub for visual inspiration.
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And let's not forget about the newest kid
he block, TikTok, launched in:
2016
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TikTok exploded in popularity,
gaining about 20 million new
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users per month in its early days.
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It's rapid rise is a testament
of how quickly the social
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media landscape can change.
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Now let's take a step back and
consider the profound impact social
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media has had on our society.
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It's transformed the way we
communicate, share information, and
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even how we view ourselves and others.
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On the positive side, social media has
made it easier than ever to stay connected
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with friends and family across the globe.
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It's given a voice to marginalized
groups and facilitated social
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and political movements.
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Remember the Arab Spring
or the Me Too movement?
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Social media played a crucial role in
spreading awareness and organizing action.
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Social media has also revolutionized
business and marketing.
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It's created new job opportunities
from social media managers to
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influencers who make a living by
sharing content with their followers.
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But it's not all likes and shares.
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Social media has also brought challenges.
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The spread of misinformation and fake news
has become a more significant concern.
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There are also growing worries about
privacy and data security, especially
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after scandals like Cambridge Analytica.
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Perhaps most concerning is the impact
of social media on mental health,
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particularly among young people.
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Studies have linked excessive social
media use to increased anxiety,
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Depression and feelings of loneliness.
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The constant exposure to curated,
seemingly perfect lives of
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others can lead to unhealthy
comparisons and low self esteem.
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So where do we go from here?
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As we speak, new platforms
and technology are emerging.
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Virtual and augmented reality are
opening up new possibilities for
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social interaction with digital spaces.
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Artificial intelligence is being
integrated into social media in ways
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we're only beginning to understand.
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But as social media continues
to evolve, so too does our
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understanding of its effects.
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There's a growing push for more
responsible use of these platforms, both
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by users and companies that created them.
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Many are calling for stronger
privacy protections and measures to
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combat the spread of misinformation.
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From the early days of ARPANET to the
TikTok dances of today, the history
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of social media is a story of rapid
innovation and profound cultural change.
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It's a technology that has brought us
closer together in many ways, while also
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presenting new challenges and complexities
in how we relate to one another.
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As we look to the future,
one thing is certain.
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Social media will continue to shape
our world in ways we can't yet imagine.
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The one question is, how
will we shape it in return?
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And that, dear listeners, is where the
story of social media stands today.
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It started somewhere in the labs of
early computer scientists, in the
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dorm rooms of college students, and
has grown into a force that touches
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nearly every aspect of our lives.
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This has been It Started Somewhere,
and I'm Shaimond, reminding you that
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every big thing has a beginning.
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Until next time, keep exploring,
keep connecting, and maybe take a
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moment to put down your phone and
connect with someone face to face.
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After all, that's where social media
truly begin, with our foundational human
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desire to connect with one another.
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I'll catch you on the next episode.
