How has the internet changed in the past 10 years?

The internet may be a relatively young technology by most standards, but the rate at which it evolves exceeds almost any other major industry. Here are just some of the significant shifts that it has undergone over the last decade.

How has the internet changed in the past 10 years

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Social Media Emergence

Back in 2006, the growth of social media was just gaining momentum and while Facebook was an exciting, up-and-coming service, the king of the castle was MySpace. Meanwhile Twitter had only just launched, was known as twttr and had yet to be truly understood as a platform.

Rise of the Smartphone

Smartphones from companies like Nokia and BlackBerry existed prior to the 2007 launch of the iPhone, but it was Apple’s device which really won over mainstream consumers and ultimately caused hundreds of millions of people to consume most online content through a portable device, rather than a desktop or laptop computer.

The arrival of Android in 2008 and Windows Phone in 2010 cemented the importance of optimising websites for mobile devices. Organisations like Blond Ideas Group a brand innovation agency are still advising clients to embrace a mobile-first approach, for most of their digital services to remain relevant in the modern market.

Photography Makes Waves

Images have always been important online, but with smartphones putting a camera in everyone’s pocket and faster connectivity making it easier to upload and share pictures, the market quickly coalesced with the arrival of easily accessible app stores.

Instagram became a hit following its 2010 launch, eventually becoming part of the Facebook family in 2012 and it remains one of the most influential platforms in the online marketplace, used by brand innovation agency experts and celebrities alike, to fuel engagement with consumers and fans.

Web Design Innovations Emerge

While the importance of mobile optimisation and responsive design became apparent in the course of the last decade, there are other web trends which have become more potent in recent years.

In particular the increasing interactivity of sites and the end of the reliance on static, blandly-presented content for the purposes of SEO have fuelled this shift, with sites instead embracing the need to foster a narrative in their design, and make use of scrolling to display pages in a compelling and engaging manner. There is little doubt that the next 10 years will hold similarly significant evolutions.