The Evolution of Social Media from 1969 to 2013: A Change in Competition and a Trend Toward Complementary, Niche Sites
Keywords:
social media, media evolution, history of social media, niche theoryAbstract
How did social media begin, and where is it going? Will a new social network conquer Facebook? In order to speculate about the future, the evolution of social media from 1969 to 2013 – a topic that scholars have yet to explore – is examined. Through a textual analysis, the historical development and downfall of influential social media platforms is traced and a discussion of how media evolution theories applied along the way are provided. Results indicate early social media platforms competed with each other directly and marketed to the general population, largely supporting the functional equivalence theory of media evolution. Around the turn of the century, however, social networks experienced a theoretical shift. Sites competed less with each other and more for audience time and attention. Simultaneously, platforms started targeting niche populations – a change that may support the future of social media as an industry supporting the complementary and niche theories of media evolution.
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Dimmick, J., Kline, S., & Stafford, L. (2000). The gratification niches of personal e-mail and the telephone. Communication Research, 27, 227-248.
Dutta-Bergman, M. J. (2004). Complementarity in consumption of news types across traditional and new media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 48, 41-60.
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Goldsborough, R. (2009). The computer world is a-changin’. Teacher Librarian, 37, 65.
Grimes, W. (1992, December 1). Computer as a cultural tool: Chatter mounts on every topic. New York Times, p. 13 (Lexis-Nexis Academic).
Hampton, K. N., Goulet, L. S., Rainie, L., & Purcell K. (2011). Social networking sites and our lives. Retrieved from the Pew Internet and American Life Project: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks.aspx
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Holpuch, A. (2012, September 25). MySpace re-enters the social media ring with yet another rebrand. The Guardian US News Blog. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/us-news-blog/2012/sep/25/myspace-social-media-rebrand
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Jones, M. (2011, October 24). MySpace: Five lessons learned from the front. CNN Money.
Laakaniemi, R. (1981). The computer connection: America’s first computer-delivered newspaper. Newspaper Research Journal, 2, 61-68.
Liu, L. W. (2008, January 29). Friendster Moves to Asia. TIME (Nexis-Lexis Academic).
Markoff, J. (1990, May 13). Some computer conversation is changing human contact. New York Times, p. 1 (Nexis-Lexis Academic).
Nelson, L. J. (2012, November 17). Timberlake unveils revamped Myspace. Los Angeles Times, p. 3 (Lexis-Nexis Academic).
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Ramirez, A. Jr., Dimmick, J., Feaster, J., & Lin, S.-F. (2008) Revisiting interpersonal media competition: The gratification of niches of instant messaging, e-mail, and the telephone. Communication Research, 35, 529-547.
Reiling, L. G. (1986, March 28). CompuServe and MCI Mail join to interconnect ½-million subscribers. Marketing News, p 2.
Rivlin, G. (2006, October 15). Wallflower at the Web Party. New York Times (Lexis-Nexis Academic).
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Rosenwald, M. S. (2009, December 9). AOL tries to navigate the Web it helped you find; On its own once again Pioneering Internet firm now focuses on content. The Washington Post, p. 20 (Nexis-Lexis Academic).
Ruberg, B. (2008, September 24). Tribe.net: Going the way of Friendster? SF Weekly.
Sherman, E. (2012, June 26). Facebook U.S. unique users down 4.8% in 6 months. CBS MoneyWatch.
Stafford, T. F., Stafford, M. R., & Schkade, L. L. (2004). Determining uses and gratifications for the Internet. Decision Sciences, 35, 259-288.
Starr, P. (2005). The creation of the media: Political origins of modern communication. NY: Basic Books.
Stemple III, G. H., Hargrove, T., & Bernt, J. P. (2000). Relation of growth of use of the Internet to changes in media use from 1995-1999. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 77, 71-79.
Tabak, A. J. (2004, February 9). Hundreds Register for New Facebook Website. The Harvard Crimson.
Tedeschi, B. (2004, February 9). Social Networks: Will Users Pay to Get Friends? New York Times (Lexis-Nexis Academic).
Thompson, M. (2012, October 1). Social Butterflies: Facebook’s Biggest Competitors. EContent, p. 15.
van der Wurff, R. (2011). Are news media substitutes? Gratifications, contents, and uses. Journal of Media Economics, 24, 139-157.
Wade, B. (1985, June 29). Defense plan being debated in electronic newspaper. The Financial Post, p. 11 (Lexis-Nexis Academic).
Weise, E. (1998, June 16). Forget the Net, Usenet is the way to go. USA Today, p. 13 (Nexis-Lexis Academic).
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