Social media are a rather current phenomenon, just emerging a few years ago. In 2005 the consumption of the Internet has proliferated, leading to different ranges of software such as Facebook or Microsoft Messenger (MSN) that foster the formation of online communities and the interaction among people.
The development of such software was only possible through what we call today Web 2.0.. In 2005, Tim O’Reilly and Dale Dougherty coined the term Web 2.0, describing the web as a ‘platform’ where users create content and new sites, thereby, encouraging others to participate, collaborate and exchange content. Due to this participation and collaboration empowerment, Web 2.0 is often referred to as the Social Web, signifying the way people communicate, make decisions, socialize, learn, entertain themselves, and interact with each other in the Internet. Since then, Web 2.0 turned into a common buzzword, encompassing social media services such as eBay, Amazon, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, BitTorrent and Napster, to name but a few.
Due to this, Web 2.0 is often interchangeably used with ‘social media’, although there is one major distinction between the terms: Web 2.0 predominantly refers to the technical platform on which social media types and services can be used, whereas social media rather describe the social aspects of Web 2.0 applications, including participation, openness, conversation, community, and connectedness enhanced through blogs, social networks, or discussion forums.
According to Weber, the web will soon head towards the next phase of the web, featuring rich media, such as video, sound and touch transmitted via high-speed broadband connections, allowing the web to be more emotional.
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