The Impact Of Social Networking

709 Words2 Pages

Today, millions of people around the world use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends and family. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram are some of the most popular social media sites used today. However, this was not always the case. Over time, social networking evolved into what it is today, but when did it all start. What impact have social networks had on society and the economy? Social Networking in its early stages can be traced back to the 70s and 80s. During that time, social networks did not look nor perform as they do today. They were simple and usually required a relay system to patch you through. In 1988, the Internet Relay Chat was developed; this allowed users to preform simple tasks such as …show more content…

One of the biggest and most popular at the time was Friendster. Friendster changed the way social networking operated and is the groundwork for all social media sites today. Friendster allows users to connect with their friends, along with their friends-of-friends. These types of connections allowed a person to expand their networks and discover new people. Friendster’s goal was to create a safe place for people to get acquainted, rather than in real-life. Like most social sites today, Friendster was, in part, a dating site. It operated on the premise that people who have shared friends would have a better chance than people who did …show more content…

Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook was a Harvard-only network that quickly spread to other schools, businesses and eventually to everyone in 2006. In 2008, Facebook became the most popular social site in the world, and continues to grow. According to statista.com, Facebook has over 1.4 billion users in 2015, and is the first social website to reach the one billion mark. While Facebook does not allow its users the same customization that Myspace does, it does let users post pictures and videos that customize their content. Facebook also has private messaging and wall posts. Wall posts are viewed by other friends, not generally seen by the public. Facebook also allows it users privacy settings to control who can access their

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