How social media shaped a decade
photo by sky stockton
The early 2010s were the big bang of social media. During May of 2010, YouTube surpassed two billion daily views. In that same year, Instagram hit the App Store. Following suit, Snapchat was released in October of 2011. The next year, Twitter broke 150 million active users. Then, with shocking success, Vine was released in 2013 and became the most popular video sharing app within that same year. But what does this have to do with today’s teens?
Most teenagers consider the 2010s as the most memorable decade of their childhood (considering they were still babies in the early 2000s, this thought seems accurate). But during these childhood days, many of today’s teens entered the world of social media. It was shiny, new, and dangling right in front of them. In fact, over 51% of SJHS students report having downloaded some form of social media by the time they entered 6th grade.
When Instagram was just taking off, the content that inhabited it was very different. Most home pages were filled with posts from large accounts: unironic top text/bottom text memes, rainbow food DIYs, and awesome inventions.
Pictures the average person posted were different too. At the time, Instagram was used to post for posting’s sake. Saw a cool sign? Post it. Felt cute today (might delete later)? Post it. Eat a Sour Patch Kid? Post it.
“In 5th grade, I didn’t care as much about what other people thought, so I posted whatever I wanted to. Now I think more about this stuff,” Aarushi Fernandez, 12, said.
But as the years have gone by, the standard of an “acceptable” post has matured. Nowadays, the average Instagram post is well thought out. The angles, filters, and posting times are all pre-planned to ensure maximum likes. Additionally, posts are no longer what users’ want to share with the world; they’re what users believe the world wants to see.
“I’ll post something then delete it later if it doesn’t get enough likes or views. I’m just more conscious,” Aarushi said.
“I’ll post something then delete it later if it doesn’t get enough likes or views. I’m just more conscious.”
Similarly to the change in content posted, the shelf life of said content has changed as well. According to quickmarketing.com, today’s social media users are more likely to delete embarrassing or outdated posts. In contrast, just a few years ago the average user left posts up for longer periods of time, regardless of what the post said.
During these years of development, social media changed the way teens grew up. In comparison to previous generations, Gen Z is highly influenced by what they see online. In fact, 80% of all Gen Z aged consumers make purchases based off what they see online. Socially, this generation has felt a disconnect in real life. Statistics have shown Gen Z to rank highest in depression and average sucide rate across the U.S. Yet, they’ve still managed to shape social media more than it’s shaped them.
Gen Z has pioneered the usage of social media to create real life change. The ALS ice bucket challenge of 2014 raised over $115 million dollars for the ALS Association. The push from teenagers to engage in online petitions has created national buzz time after time. Online movements have also turned into powerful action, such as March for Our Lives.
This generation’s change in usage has also created a demand for the apps themselves to update their features, in order to better accommodate users.
Kate Gersonde, 11, has had Instagram since she was in 3rd grade and Snapchat since 4th. Over the years of her using these apps, she’s seen their features change.
“Snapchat has face filters now. I use them a lot while texting my friends because we like to send each other the ugly ones,” Kate said.
When apps like Snapchat and Instagram hit the market, their functions were very limited in comparison to users now know. Early versions of Snapchat had no stories, filters, news sections, or stickers. But as Gen Z paved the way for new means of connections, Snapchat (and other apps) needed to advance. Similarly, Instagram used to be strictly square-cropped photos. Direct messages (DMs) and the ability to share videos were added to the app later as the developers learned more about what consumers wanted to see. These new features, again, created a shift in the way they were used.
“Now that I’m older, I’ve noticed more celebrities and people using social media to promote [themselves] or products,” Kate said.
Across any type of social media in the early 2010s, the majority of the uploads were from people posting their life moments for fun. Most YouTube videos were recorded on crappy computer webcams and shared with family and friends. Vines were quick snippets of day-to-day life.
Then as the 2010s progressed, users noticed a take-off of online personalities. Instead of random viral videos, singular channels grabbed hold of the public’s attention, which created YouTube’s first stars. Smosh, NigaHiga, Michelle Phan, and Jenna Marbles captivated audiences and developed a following for themselves.
Social media users everywhere noticed this new line of content creators. Some flocked to follow these early stars while others attempted to follow in their footsteps.
A prime example of this is the infamous group of Viners: MagCon.
MagCon was a group comprised of nine boys, ages 15 to 19. All the boys had a large, devoted following of teen girls on their individual vine accounts. From there, MagCon founder Mr. Bart Bordelon realized these boys were profitable. Thus, Magcon was born.
The group toured the United States and profited off selling meet and greet tickets. Throughout their time touring, the Vine stars continued to regularly post content and grow their audience. Their success on the platform eventually translated to real life success as well. Some members have starred in their own movies and TV shows, other members dipped their toes in a record label. Most notably, Shawn Mendes went full force into a music career, and is now a chart topping celebrity.
Social media users everywhere envied the fame, wealth, and popularity that MagCon and other online personalities have gained. Content began to be pushed out with the goal of views and shares—across all platforms.
The shift in posting mentality has paved the way for the modern day’s most controversial career: social media influencers. Careeraddict.com defines the job as “[Someone who works] with brands to help them gain more publicity. As someone whom their followers trust and admire, they have the credibility and reach to promote brands they are passionate about – in a convincing and relatable way. In exchange, they are compensated either financially or with free products.”
“[Because of my following on Tik Tok] I’ve had a couple of small companies ask me to promote their stuff, but I said no because I’m not a sell out,” Aarushi said.
Social media influencers can appear on any platform. From Instagram to Tumblr, plenty of users have gained a following, which they’ve turned into profit. As long as a company sees a user with a high, steady following, they’ll offer a sponsorship deal.
But no influencers can compare unprecedented financial success found by young Youtube celebrities. These online stars earn upwards of $14 million dollars a year. That’s over 35 times the yearly income of a neurosurgeon. With money flying in through monetization, brand deals, merchandise, and their own companies, these internet personalities have changed the game in terms of ways to make money in “the real world.”
Over the course of the 2010s, social media has matured from a way to share with friends to our means of entertainment, gathering information, staying up to date, and even making an income. Currently, the world of social media is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Looking into the future, social media will continue to grow as a place for business. New jobs and degrees have already been created in preparation for this expected growth.
As a whole, social media has grown and changed just as any previous invention or idea has. Its life has been short and explosive so far, and it’s fair to assume it’ll continue to grow in this way. As this generation continues to age, social media will too, continuing to integrate itself into the daily lives of users everywhere.