How Social Media Looked Like 50 Years Ago

Social media has become an indispensable part of modern life, connecting people across the world in a way that was once unimaginable. However, the idea of social media is not entirely new. In fact, social media has been around for decades, albeit in a very different form than we are familiar with today. If we were to look at social media 50 years ago, we’d have to go back to the 1970s.

At that time, the internet was still in its infancy and social media as we know it today simply didn’t exist. However, there were some early precursors to social media that were emerging. One such precursor was the bulletin board system (BBS). These were computer systems that allowed users to upload and download software, music, and other files. They also had the ability to leave messages for other users, creating an early form of online communication.

Another precursor was the CompuServe forum, which provided a platform for users to communicate with each other via messages. However, this platform was limited to only the subscribers of the CompuServe network, making it inaccessible to the wider population.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the first online chat rooms emerged. These chat rooms were primarily text-based, and users could engage in conversations with each other in real-time. However, they were still limited by the technology of the time, as users needed a dial-up connection to access them.

By the late 1990s, the internet had become more widespread, and social media as we know it today began to emerge. The first recognizable social media platform was Six Degrees, which was launched in 1997. Six Degrees allowed users to create a profile and connect with other users, similar to the way social media works today. However, the website was eventually shut down because of financial difficulties.

In 2002, Friendster was launched and quickly gained popularity. The platform had many of the features we associate with social media today, including profiles, the ability to add friends, and groups. However, Friendster suffered from technical difficulties and was eventually overtaken by other social media sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

Today, social media has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of people around the world using it to connect with friends, family, and colleagues. While social media 50 years ago was a far cry from what we have today, it was the early precursor that paved the way for the technology that we use today. As technology continues to advance, we can only imagine what social media will look like in the future.