How did the widespread use of smartphones change how we use social media? Did this change serve the original purpose of online social networking?

We look back to 2008 and think about how the introduction of smart phones changed how we connect online, with a special focus on the lead up to and introduction of Instagram.

The second part of our exploration of online social networks before smart phones, with a special focus on the early 2000s and Friendster, LinkedIn, MySpace, early Facebook, and Google+.

Why did online social networks start in the first place? What need did they serve? We'll continue to explore this question as we look back to the early 90's and America Online ("AOL") and what it made possible.

Why did online social networks start in the first place? What need did they serve, or what need were they designed to serve?

Join us as we look back at some of the earliest networks, before dial up, and trace their development up to the early 90's.

Before the earliest online social networks, there were earlier "online" social networks.

We'll discuss short wave and CB, explain why we think these were early signs that we wanted to connect in new ways, and think about what these early networks had in common with what came next.

Words matter, so before we dive in and explore the earliest online social media networks, we'll define our terms.

We're taking a closer look at the core issues around social media, beginning with examining the existing social media landscape.

This episode, we outline what we'll explore this season, and why we think it matters.

Find out more about Breaking the Feed (coming soon).