Breaking the Feed

Twitter after 2011: 100,000,000 users, the Arab Spring, and the Trump years.

Join us as we explore Twitter's glory days and share some of our own experiences and thoughts on the platform and the lead up to Elon Musk's purchase.

Have you ever wondered (or do you remember) how Twitter started?

This episode we go right back to the beginning and think about what made Twitter (X) so successful early on, often in spite of the technological limitations of the time.

FaceMash, The Facebook, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Meta...is the Threads flop the end of an era?

In this three part series we go back to where it all started and trace Facebook's early successes and controversies. This episode addresses the core question: Is this the end for Meta? Increased competition, apathy from users, and increased government scrutiny present new challenges, but we'll discuss why we think it's more likely just the beginning of the end.

FaceMash, The Facebook, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Meta...is the Threads flop the end of an era?

In this three part series we go back to where it all started and trace Facebook's early successes and controversies. This episode takes a closer look at some of Facebook's early challenges and acquisition of Instagram and Whatsapp, with a closer look at Cambridge Analytica.

FaceMash, The Facebook, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Meta...is the Threads flop the end of an era?

In this three part series we go back to where it all started and trace Facebook's early successes and controversies. This episode starts with FaceMash and the series of good decisions that allowed Facebook to surpass Myspace as the most visited social media website in 2008.

This episode we explore the most recent meteoric rise and record-braking crash: Clubhouse.

But what actually went wrong and will it have a second act?

What role did Gchat play in shaping the social media landscape?

We'll explore what made it so popular, why so many people stopped using it, and what it's contributed to social media as we know it today.

What happened to Myspace and does it have a role to play in the existing social media landscape?

Myspace was the most popular social media network from 2005 until 2008 and in 2006 Myspace surpassed Google as the most visited website in the United States. Where did it go wrong?

We'll explore a number of possibilities and as we think back to what made Myspace great in the first place, and consider whether it could be well placed for a comeback.

What happened to AOL Instant Messenger?

Whether it was a cornerstone of your coming of age experience or something you've never heard of before now, join us as we look at how it all started, its cultural significance, and why it all came to an end.

Even if you've never used TikTok, it's changed your life.

Downloaded more than 3.5 billion times, people in the UK spend, on average, 27.3 hours on TikTok per month. That's more than an entire day every month, and that's the average.

Why?

We'll explore how Tiktok has changed social media for consumers and brands, other social media platforms, and regulators.