Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, WhatsApp and Discord – these are some of the popular social media platforms we all know and love today. Nowadays, these apps are becoming more than just a way for us to connect with our friends and family. People are also using them to raise awareness, discover new talents, enjoy a wide range of entertainment content and provide helpful assistance.
Before the existence of smartphones, there was a time when some of these social sites were only accessible on PC. Sadly, many of them did not survive for long after stronger competitors took over the spotlight. While they’re no longer active, we should still be grateful as we wouldn’t be where we are today without these discontinued networking sites. Here are 6 social media platforms that used to be well-loved:
1. Friendster (2002 – 2018)
Before there was Facebook, there was Friendster. While it originated in the United States, this social website dominated Asian countries and you’d hear youth growing up in the 2000s asking for each other’s user IDs to be added as friends.
The site eventually evolved into a social gaming site and garnered users mostly from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. Sadly, in 2015, Friendster shut down its service but the company for the website did not officially end operations until 2018.
2. Vine (2013 – 2017)
TikTok and Instagram Reels are all the rage today but now imagine a video-sharing app where you can only post 6-second content. Sounds too ridiculous to be real, right? Vine was at the top of its game after it kick-started many content creators’ careers, shortly after launching in 2013.
Thomas Sanders, Shawn Mendes, Zach King, Liza Koshy and Quenlin Blackwell were all once Vine stars before branching out to bigger and better things. Despite being one of the most popular apps during its lifespan, the video-sharing platform shut down in 2017 due to its inability to monetise and retain creators.
3. DailyBooth (2009 – 2012)
Most people nowadays would post their photos on Instagram but back in the day, many would share them on DailyBooth. Just like Instagram, it’s basically a site for users to document and share their daily lives with others, hence the slogan, “your life in pictures.”
It lived long enough to have an app version on the iPhone but sadly after Airbnb took over, users could no longer post content. Thankfully, creators were given the option to export all their photos before the social platform closed down in 2012.
4. Yahoo Messenger (1999 – 2018)
Many of us can still hear the notification tones in our memory. This is possibly the oldest social chatting service on this list; Yahoo Messenger was first introduced in 1999 as an extension to user’s Yahoo email accounts. This chat service was a way for many millennials to talk to their friends outside of school. Not just that, you could even play some games on it as well.
Back in 2015, a newer version of Yahoo Messenger was launched to replace the old one but it was short-lived as it sang its swan song in 2018. It was initially replaced by Yahoo Together, only for that platform to be shut down as well in the following year.
5. Omegle (2009 – 2023)
While this was not really a social media platform, it did help connect people from all over the globe. Omegle was a site where you can freely chat with strangers or speak with them on camera. As seen in the photo above, even celebrities had some fun surprising their fans.
Unfortunately, one of the dangers of this website is that anyone can freely use it – even young children. Many have also abused the platform by appearing nude on camera or sending hateful messages in the chat. After 14 years of being online, Omegle officially shut down its service last November 2023.
6. Google + (2011 – 2019)
Anyone here remember Google+? Obviously an extension to Google, the app was launched in 2018 for users to interact with each other and it was linked to every site owned by Google like YouTube and Blogger. It basically had the same features as any other social networking site like posting photos, adding friends, and chatting. It’s a shame that it didn’t last long because it seemed like it had some potential. The platform closed down after 8 years of operation, with Google Chat now taking its place since 2023.
Honourable mentions
1. Myspace (2003 – Present)
Yes, Myspace surprisingly still exists but we thought it should still be on this list because of how abandoned it is now. Launched in 2003, the social site actually did pretty well during its prime as it was one of Facebook’s biggest competitors. The platform allowed users to be very creative with their profiles as they could customise them however they liked through coding.
It was actually due to this creative freedom that many learned how to code. Sadly, most of its users have moved on to other social media platforms and Myspace has since declined. It’s probably only a matter of time before its impending doom.
2. Twitter (2006 – 2023)
This is more of a rebrand than a discontinuation but it still deserves a mention here because of how devastated people were after it was announced that the beloved Blue Bird-inspired name and logo would be replaced with a simple X. If you didn’t know, in 2013, the word Tweet was included in the English dictionary, further proving how phenomenal it was prior to its rebrand.
In 2022, billionaire Elon Musk bought the company and reshape it to his own liking, removing features that were loved by users and adding features that seemed to complicate things. While the name and domain have officially changed to X.com, the majority of users are still calling it Twitter. Will we ever see our favourite Blue Bird return? One can only hope so.
Sources: SearchEngineJournal, Hubspot
