A look back at its evolution and history that amplified social justice voices all over the world.
In 1991, the World Wide Web was born, ushering in a new era of global communication and transforming the world forever. Over the past three decades, the internet has evolved in ways that its early pioneers could never have imagined, impacting every aspect of our daily lives.
The birth of the internet can be traced back to the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, where Tim Berners-Lee was a young computer scientist in the late 1980s. At that time, CERN's researchers needed an efficient way to share information and collaborate with each other across different computer systems.
The internet was born in a science lab to share research information. The first browser was called Archie.
Berners-Lee realized that the existing solutions were inadequate and came up with an innovative idea to create a system that could connect various computer networks and allow for easy sharing of information. Thus, he invented the World Wide Web, which revolutionized the way people access and share information, and paved the way for the internet as we know it today.
1990s: Birth and Expansion - Driven By The Boomer Generation
The first decade of the internet's existence was marked by its rapid expansion and adoption. The following year, the first website went live, and the internet began to take off. In 1993, the first search engine, Archie, was created, and by 1995, the first online shopping websites were launched. The late 90s saw the rise of instant messaging, Napster, and the first social media platform, Six Degrees.
2000s: E-Commerce and Social Media - Driven By Gen X
The second decade of the internet was defined by the rise of e-commerce and social media. In 2000, the dot-com bubble burst, but this didn't stop the internet's growth. In 2001, Wikipedia was launched, and in 2003, Myspace became the first social media platform to achieve widespread popularity. In 2004, Facebook was founded, and YouTube launched the following year. The rise of social media platforms allowed people to connect with each other in unprecedented ways and opened up new possibilities for communication and self-expression.
2010s: Mobile and the Cloud - Driven By Millennials
The third decade of the internet was marked by the widespread adoption of smartphones and the shift to cloud computing. In 2010, Instagram launched, and in 2011, Snapchat was founded. The rise of these platforms marked a shift towards mobile-first design and an emphasis on visual content. In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the U.S. government's surveillance of the internet, sparking a global conversation about online privacy and security. The following year, the first smartwatch, the Apple Watch, was launched, marking the beginning of a new era of wearable technology. The 2010s also saw the rise of cloud computing, with services like Dropbox and Google Drive making it easier than ever to store and share files online.
2020s: The Pandemic and the Future - Driven By Gen Z & Gen A
The 2020s have been marked by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a massive shift towards remote work and online communication. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technologies like video conferencing and virtual events, and highlighted the importance of the internet in our daily lives. Looking ahead, the internet's future is likely to be shaped by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and the Internet of Things. The internet has come a long way since its birth in 1991, but its journey is far from over, and we can't wait to see where it will take us next.
