People have always felt the need to communicate with one another, whether to share their feelings, warn someone of a threat, or tell a meaningful story. The first time this impulse was carried out with an electronic device was in 1844, with a series of dots and dashes known as Morse Code. People would have to wait until 1983 to witness the birth of the Internet. But that was just the beginning. Here’s a brief history of social media that shows we haven’t changed that much.

Where it all began: the launch of social sites

Let’s start with the 1980s and 1990s, when everything was brand new, and possibilities seemed endless. The Internet’s growth allowed users to communicate through email, send messages on bulletin board systems, and chat with their friends via services like America Online and Compuservice.

This was also the period when blogs were created. This form of communication became popular with the launch of the LiveJournal publishing site. In 1997, the first true social media network was born– SixDegrees.com. On the short-lived site, members could create profiles, list their friends, and post bulletin board items.