Social Media Day is a national day to celebrate the presence of social media in our lives. Mashable launched the idea in 2010 as a way to celebrate social media’s impact on the public and the way it revolutionized how we communicate with others.
While most everyone utilizes social media on a daily basis, we’ve gotten so accustomed to the practice that commemorating the day is a way to truly think about social media’s impact on our lives. In 2022, people use social media to connect with people across the globe; it’s simple and speedy. Mashable utilizes social media as a means of connecting diverse cultures, fandoms, and even social movements.
Read More »When is Social Media Day 2022?
Social Media day is celebrated every June 30. In 2022, Social Media Day is on a Thursday.
How did social media begin? Was it MySpace or Facebook?
Social media didn’t begin with MySpace, nor did it begin in the early 2000s. In fact, the very first social media platform was actually established in 1997. Andrew Weinrech founded Sixdegrees with the goal of connecting people via school affiliations or family connections. The platform allowed users to create a profile and post to bulletin boards on the site. Unfortunately, the platform was shut down in 2001, but not before garnering more than one million users.
In 2002, Friendster was launched. This platform is considered the first modern social media outlet, but its users were primarily based in Asian countries. Friendster was touted as a safe way to make new friends.
The business world even hopped on the social media platform. LinkedIn debuted in 2003, and it’s still in use today.
Both MySpace and Facebook launched in 2004. MySpace was wildly popular at one time, but the platform eventually fizzled. Facebook, however, took off in popularity with users of all ages. Today, Facebook is Meta; Meta is planning to completely change the way we use social media within the next decade by using virtual reality.
MySpace allowed its users to customize their profiles with music. In 2006, MySpace was the largest social media platform in the world. However, by 2009 and 2010, MySpace had lost users due to a burst of social media platforms.
In 2010, Instagram was debuted; Facebook would eventually purchase Instagram and WhatsApp. Snapchat was launched within a year, but the latest social media platform is TikTok, released in 2016.
Instagram garnered more than one million users by the third month of its inception. Facebook saw the potential for growth in its platform rival and bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. By 2014, Facebook had also purchased WhatsApp (at a purchase price of $16 billion). Facebook would later offer to purchase SnapChat for $3 billion, but the company refused the offer.
Social media remains the chief way that people connect with one another, but it is also quite the source of controversy. Mark Zuckerberg has appeared before Congressional committees multiple times to testify regarding how his companies handle hate speech, controversial statements, and misinformation on the platform. Yet, social media has become such an integral part of daily life that individuals can’t imagine going back to typical text messages or (gasp) actually talking on the telephone.
Timeline of Social Media History
- 1940s – The First Computer is Created
- 1997 – First Social Media Platform Created
- 2004 – Facebook Goes Live Worldwide
- 2005 – YouTube Launched
- 2010 – Instagram Launched
- 2016 – TikTok Launched the Ability to Create and Post Videos
World Social Media Day Traditions
The top tradition to honor World Social Media Day is posting about the day on the social media platform of one’s choice; of course, users must add the #SMDay hashtag!
Some will post photos or quotes about the impact social media has had on their lives, while others will simply use the day to show their favorite social media outline some online love.
Some websites will publish a list of top social media moments. These lists are usually fun to peruse, especially since so many users can relate! Most of these lists include viral posts or videos that either shocked the world or caused it to laugh.
How Can I Celebrate World Social Media Day 2022?
It’s important to be social on Social Media day, so you’ll likely note lots of influencers and vlogers utilizing graphics on their site to celebrate the day. Users who choose to do so on their personal social media page should make sure that none of the graphics are copyrighted.
*Participate in a Tweet chat.
Twitter is, according to Tesla founder and potential owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, the digital public square. With that in mind, hop over to Twitter and join in a chat on a viral thread. Bonus points for finding a trending social media day post and jump in the fun.
* Join in Group conversations.
Social media messaging platforms such as Telegram allows for users to chat in a group setting. Whatsapp has a similar feature. Be sure to join in the fun while celebrating World Social Media Day.
*Create your own Live Video.
Facebook will allow you to celebrate World Social Media while “going live.” Grab your friends and shoot a video in which you all extol the finer points of social media usage. Give your favorite platform a shout out!
You can also create a video and post it to Instagram or YouTube.
*Share content created by your favorite social media influencer.
Find quotes, relevant pics, or even blogs from your favorite social media platform. Post these to your own social media accounts, and invite your friends to do the same. Reading these quotes or blogs is not only educational but fun as well!
*Spend some extra time interacting with social media professionals on your favorite platform.
Comment on a tweet or an Instagram post and see if your favorite influencer or celebrity responds to you! Don’t forget to utilize the hashtag #SMDay!
*Attend a social media club meeting.
Look for virtual meet-ups regarding the celebration of Social Media Day. However, places across the United States – Denver, San Diego, and Wichita, to name a few – are hosting in-person events as well.
What are some other inspirations for celebrating Social Media Day?
*Post a question: What’s the impact of social media in your life and why?
*Share a success you’ve had due to social media.
*Share a funny GIF.
*Post before and after the day.
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