We have instant access to a vast amount of information. In terms of market share, Yahoo! and MSN were ahead of Google. At the time, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and the iPhone were not yet available, and early social media platforms like MySpace and Friendster were only beginning to go online.
The Media’s Current Waves
1. Proto-Media
Prior to the advent of mass media, spreading a message required dedication and a lifetime. You can see how challenging it would be to properly connect with the general public during this age when you consider that only 4% of the world’s population even lived in cities by the year 1500. Or, to give a more accurate image of proto-media, information could only move as quickly as a horse.
2. Initial Digital and Analog Media
New technology developments made it possible for widespread communication for the first time ever during this first wave. As a result, the owners of these assets were able to disseminate their message widely using media including newspapers, books, magazines, radios, televisions, movies, and early websites.
3. Integrated Media
Social media and Web 2.0 innovations have altered the rules of the game. Entry restrictions started to disappear in the mid-2000s, and soon anyone could publish their opinion online for free and with ease. Sorting through it became the most challenging issue to address as the internet boomed with content.
Algorithms started feeding consumers what they enjoyed, so they might consume more, for better or worse.