Love it or hate it, social media has found its way into most of our lives. A lot of us roll over and immediately check our phones when we wake up, and end our day roughly the same way.
In fact, the average American checks their phone 144 times per day. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and many others have become such a huge part of our lives that it’s hard to think of a time when they didn’t exist.
But when did social media start? How did it evolve into the platforms we know today? And when did we become a generation of short-form videos, trending audios, and comment sections?
In this blog, we'll explore the dawn of social media and how social media has changed over time.
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Key Takeaways
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Before social media became the polished, algorithm-driven experience we know today, it was more experimental—built from simple tools, evolving interests, and a whole lot of curiosity. Let’s rewind to where it all began.
In the late ‘90s, the internet’s early adopters found ways to connect through forums and blogging platforms. These weren’t technically “social media” by today’s standards, but they laid the groundwork:
Together, these platforms shaped the early culture of online communities: expressive, niche, and sometimes surprisingly personal.
By the mid-2000s, a new wave of platforms started moving past anonymous usernames and into more personal, profile-based networks.
Friendster launched in 2003 and helped pioneer the idea of connecting with “friends of friends.” It introduced features like user profiles, friend lists, and status updates—things that would become core to future social platforms. But it couldn’t quite keep up with demand, and users often found themselves waiting… and refreshing… a lot.
Around 2005, Myspace started to take center stage. With full-page customization, auto-play music, and the infamous “Top 8,” it gave users full creative control over their digital personas. It was messy, vibrant, and wildly popular. For a while, it felt like the internet’s biggest hangout.
When Facebook opened to the public in 2006, it changed the game completely.
Compared to the glitter and chaos of Myspace, Facebook was a breath of fresh air with a sleek layout, real names, and no cluttered, intrusive advertising.
What really set Facebook apart was its mass appeal. It created a space that felt universal—where digital connection finally started to mirror real-world relationships. And once it took off, the rest of the internet followed suit.
As social media matured, it started shifting away from just connecting primarily with people you knew and toward sharing, discovering, and engaging with people you didn’t. "Virality" entered our collective vocabulary and people's thoughts and ideas were able to reach further than ever before.
YouTube was one of the first platforms to make video creation feel truly within reach—and one of the first places where videos went viral. What began as a simple site for uploading clips quickly became a launchpad for new voices, trends, and careers.
It introduced something the internet hadn’t really seen before: everyday people making content for fun, building massive communities, and—eventually—turning that into a full-time living.
These early creators became the blueprint for what we now call the influencer era, all thanks to a few key factors:
YouTube democratized content creation and proved that an individual with a camera could shape internet culture, inspire trends, and make a career out of creating.
Where YouTube leaned into storytelling, Twitter thrived on speed and simplicity. Instead of long-form content, it offered real-time thoughts, updates, and interactions. For the first time, users could participate in public conversations with people far outside their immediate network—and those conversations could scale globally in minutes.
Revolutionary new features changed how information spread, how movements gained momentum, and how communities formed online:
Snapchat arrived with something social media hadn’t seen before: disappearing images and chats. It felt fresh, playful, and different from the feed-based platforms people were used to—more like a conversation than a broadcast.
Then came the feature that would change the game: Stories. This new format let users post a series of photos and videos that told a running, day-in-the-life narrative, available for just 24 hours. It was casual, creative, and built for mobile—and it quickly became the feature every other platform wanted to replicate.
Stories worked because it fit seamlessly into how people were already using their phones:
With Stories, Snapchat introduced an entirely new rhythm to how people share and consume content online.
TikTok’s biggest innovation wasn’t just its short-form video format—it was its algorithm. By shifting the focus from who you follow to what you engage with, TikTok completely changed how people discover content. The “For You” feed built a personalized stream that could make any creator, trend, or sound explode overnight.
This discovery-first approach had a ripple effect: trends became more frequent, content creation felt more casual, and virality wasn’t reserved for the accounts with the biggest followings.
This algorithm-driven shift was powered by a few defining features that set TikTok apart:
TikTok didn’t just change how people watch—it reshaped how they create, interact, and even think about what’s possible on social media.
With TikTok setting the pace, other platforms had to pivot. Short-form, mobile-first video became the default content format—and everyone rushed to keep up. This next wave of features reflected that shift:
The result has been a social media environment where video is front and center, content discovery isn’t limited to who you follow, and creators can find their audience faster than ever before.
These days, social media is less of a single experience and more of a layered, personalized ecosystem. It’s where people go to be entertained, informed, and inspired—but also to search, shop, scroll, and sometimes, just tune out.
What makes today’s platforms feel different isn’t just the speed or volume, it’s how the experience adapts to each user, in real time. Here’s what defines social today:
As feeds become more saturated, users are turning to smaller, more focused spaces for genuine connection. These spaces offer context, shared purpose, and a break from the noise:
Public content may get the views, but private spaces are where relationships are being built.
People are no longer just using social media to scroll—they’re using it to find things. From where to go on vacation to how to troubleshoot a product, users are treating social as a search tool. And AI is making the results smarter, faster, and more personal.
This search engine shift is changing user behavior in clear ways:
Social isn’t just a place to find people anymore, it’s where people go to find answers.
The days of treating social media as a billboard are long gone. Brands that thrive are the ones that think like creators—leaning into content that’s native to the platform, not just polished for it.
This creator mindset shift is changing how brands produce and show up:
If it looks like an ad, users scroll past it. If it looks like relevant and vital information, they stick around.
From the early days of niche forums and customizable Myspace pages to today’s algorithm-driven, video-heavy feeds, we've seen how social media has changed over time. Each new platform, feature, and format has reshaped how we connect, share, and discover—pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for both individuals and brands.
The story of social media doesn't stop here, though. The platforms will keep changing. Algorithms will keep shifting. Trends will come and go faster than ever. But one thing remains constant: the brands that thrive are the ones that know how to adapt without losing sight of who they are and who they serve.
If you want your brand to not just keep up, but lead the conversation, you need a strategy built for today’s social media—not last year’s. Modern Driven Media can help you craft the kind of presence that connects, converts, and stands out in any feed. Reach out to our team today to start the conversation.