The Life & Death of Social Media

We’re more connected than ever, thanks to social media. Despite thousands of miles of distance, we can still stay in touch with friends and family. We can even make new friends and start social movements at the drop of a #hashtag. But the websites that helped make this all possible had to start somewhere. And despite their strong starts, some sites didn’t last to see the interconnected world we live in today.

SOURCES:

The Climb to Success:

Facebook:

• 2004-2008: https://d1lge852tjjqow.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001326801/f3fcb2a3-f76a-4aaa-9c7c-9fa100fdc962.pdf

• 2009-2017: https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/

• Latest 2018 figure: https://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/p

Twitter:

• 2010-2014: https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthly-active-twitter-users/

• 2015: https://investor.twitterinc.com/static-files/efd72267-6f92-49ee-891f-188e1a43d993

• 2016: https://investor.twitterinc.com/static-files/7af2715c-27e5-45ba-a690-84620179a1e2

• 2017: https://investor.twitterinc.com/static-files/c48a4ad8-6c1d-4dfc-b263-898e0bfde2c8

• 2018: https://investor.twitterinc.com/static-files/5ce969d2-a97f-49ef-ae10-577b81f6efee

Instagram:

• 2013-2017: https://www.statista.com/statistics/253577/number-of-monthly-active-instagram-users/

• 2018: https://instagram-press.com/blog/2018/06/20/welcome-to-igtv/

WhatsApp:

• 2013-2017: https://www.statista.com/statistics/260819/number-of-monthly-active-whatsapp-users/

Pinterest:

• 2015-2017: https://www.statista.com/statistics/463353/pinterest-global-mau/

Ghosts of Social Sites Past:

Xanga:

• https://mashable.com/2006/08/13/xanga-profile/#W_h13K_ENmqY

Friendster:

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123101894.html

• https://www.slate.com/articles/technology/webhead/2009/03/ye_olde_social_network.html

Eons:

• https://www.prweb.com/releases/crewmedia/acquireseons/prweb5279824.htm

• https://progresspartners.com/news-1/2015/10/22/progress-partners-completes-sale-of-eonscom-and-eons-boom-media

Who’s Using What?

• https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/

Back From the Dead:

• 2010: https://techland.time.com/2011/12/20/myspace-returns-with-facebook-integrated-music-player/

• 2011: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/who-uses-facebook-twitter-linkedin-myspace-social-media-update-4th-q-2010-and-1st-q-2011

• 2012-2015: https://www.statista.com/statistics/265099/unique-visitors-to-myspacecom/