Social media

You can use computers to talk.

You can share photos and videos. You can also share ideas. This helps you find new friends. It helps you join groups, too.

People use these tools to learn. They use them to share news. Some people use them to sell things. You can use a phone to join in.

Some posts spread very fast. This is like a tiny germ. Many people see it quickly. It can reach many people in a short time.

These tools help us stay close. It is fun to share stories. Do you like to share stories?

Social media is a way to share things online.

Users can make their own content. This includes text, photos, and videos. People use these tools to build social networks. These are groups of people who connect with each other. You can use a computer or a phone to join in. Many people use social media to find friends. They also use it to learn and share news.

Some sites are very famous. Facebook and Instagram have many users. Other sites like YouTube let you share videos.

In the past, people used bulletin board systems. These were early ways to talk on computers. One of the first social sites was SixDegrees. It let people use their real names. It also had friend lists and profiles.

Sometimes, content can go viral. This means a post spreads very fast. It moves from person to person like a germ. Some posts can reach millions of people in hours. This happens because people share the post with others. This can help businesses or groups reach many people quickly.

Social media is a way for people to connect using the internet.

These digital tools let people create and share their own ideas. You might post a text message, a digital photo, or a video. This is called user-generated content because the users make it themselves. People also build profiles that describe who they are. These profiles help form social networks by connecting you to other people or groups. You can use these networks to find friends, learn new things, or share memories.

Social media works differently than old media like newspapers or radio. A radio station uses a transmission model where one source sends a signal to many people. Social media uses a dialogic system. This means many sources can send information to many receivers at once. This makes the experience interactive rather than just one-way. Users can discuss, participate in, and even change the content they see. Some content can even go viral. This means a post spreads very fast from person to person, much like a germ.

Computers have been helping us connect for a long time. In 1960, the PLATO system launched at the University of Illinois. It had early features like message forums and instant messaging. Later, ARPANET came online in 1969 and helped people exchange ideas. In 1979, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis created Usenet at two different universities. Before the modern web, many people used Bulletin Board Systems, or BBSs. These systems were very popular in North America during the 1980s.

In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web using HTML software.

Many different platforms exist for different kinds of sharing. SixDegrees.com launched in 1997 and is often called the first social media site. It was special because it let people use their real names. Since then, many famous sites have arrived. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are all very popular. Some sites have over 100 million registered users. These include WeChat, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. As of 2023, about 4.76 billion people used social media. This is about 59% of all people in the world.

While social media is helpful, it can also cause problems. Some people worry about how it affects children and teenagers. It can lead to sleep problems or feelings of being left out. There is also the issue of misinformation, which is false information. Some algorithms, or sets of rules that decide what you see, might favor content that makes people feel angry. There are also bots, which are automated programs that act like humans. These bots can mimic people by liking or commenting on posts. Understanding these tools helps us use them more safely.

Social media refers to new media technologies that allow for the creation, sharing, and aggregation of content. These digital tools facilitate communication within virtual communities and networks. Users can share ideas, interests, and various forms of expression through these platforms.

Unlike traditional media, social media is highly interactive. It allows individuals, businesses, and organizations to co-create and modify content. This technology has become a fundamental part of how the modern world connects and communicates.

To understand how social media works, one must look at its core mechanisms. It relies on user-generated content, which is information created by the users themselves. This includes text posts, comments, digital photos, and videos. Users also maintain service-specific profiles designed by the platform organization. These profiles allow for the development of social networks by connecting one user to others.

This process creates a dialogic transmission system. In this system, many sources send information to many receivers simultaneously. This differs from the transmission model used by newspapers or radio, where one source broadcasts to many receivers.

Social media services are diverse and can be categorized into many specific types. Some platforms focus on microblogging, such as Twitter or Weibo, where users share short updates. Others are dedicated to photo sharing, like Pinterest or Flickr. Video sharing platforms, such as YouTube, allow for long-form visual content. There are also collaborative projects like Wikis, where many people work together to create content. Even virtual worlds like Second Life allow for social interaction in digital spaces.

Some services, like Instagram, may offer multiple types of interaction at once.

The history of these connections began long before the modern web. In 1960, the PLATO system launched at the University of Illinois. It introduced early features like message forums and instant messaging. In 1969, ARPANET came online, eventually evolving into the Internet in the 1990s. In 1979, Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived Usenet, the first open social media app. During the 1980s, Bulletin Board Systems, or BBSs, became very popular in North America.

In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web by integrating HTML hypertext software with the Internet.

Modern social media platforms emerged with the advent of Web 2.0. SixDegrees.com, launched in 1997, is often considered the first true social media site. It was unique because it allowed users to connect using their actual names. The platform's name came from the "six degrees of separation" concept. Since then, many platforms have reached massive scales. As of 2023, approximately 4.76 billion people used social media. This represents about 59% of the total global population. Many popular sites, such as Facebook and WeChat, have over 100 million registered users.

Two important phenomena within these networks are virality and the use of bots. Virality occurs when content spreads contagiously from one individual to another. A single post can reach vast numbers of people within hours through re-sharing. Bots are automated programs that operate on the internet to perform communication tasks. Some bots are programmed to mimic human interactions, such as liking or following accounts. There are also "cyborgs," which are either humans assisted by bots or bots assisted by humans. These can be used for legitimate marketing or for spreading fake news.

Despite its benefits, social media faces significant criticism regarding its impact on society. Researchers have noted negative effects on children and teenagers, including sleep problems and mental health maladies. There are also concerns about political polarization and the undermining of democracy. Some critics, such as journalist Maria Ressa, have described the environment as "toxic sludge" due to increasing distrust. This is often linked to algorithms that track engagement. These algorithms may prioritize content that spurs negative emotions like anger or outrage. This can lead to the rapid spread of misinformation across the globe.