All About Social Media

Known for its funny dance videos, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media apps in the world today. But the platform offers much more than these entertaining clips that helped it rise to fame. Users can find videos about almost anything on TikTok, from celebrity updates to breaking news. The app has even made news of its own. In 2024, the U.S. government passed a bill to ban TikTok unless it is sold. The move inspired debates about whether the decision violates Americans' right to free speech. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About TikTok discusses the history, features, and future of the fun social media app.

Anyone who visits Pinterest can quickly see that it is different from other social media apps. Instead of focusing on other people's likes, this app allows users to celebrate their own interests. Created in 2010 by a man with a fondness for collecting, the app is now available to anyone over the age of thirteen. In 2022, Pinterest became the third most popular social media app in the United States, with 40 percent of teens using it to organize and display photos, artwork, and more. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About Pinterest shares the history, uses, and features of this interest-based social media platform.

For many years, nearly everything everyone posted online remained in cyberspace forever. But in 2011, three students at Stanford University set out to make social media posts less permanent. Together, they created an app called Snapchat, in which content disappeared once it was viewed. Soon, users were posting billons of Snaps each day. Today, young people all over the world use Snapchat to share photos, videos, and messages. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About Snapchat shares the history, uses, and features of this fun social media platform.

Soon after the Internet became widely available, people began posting digital images online. But sharing videos with a large audience was more challenging. By creating YouTube, three friends who worked together at PayPal forever changed the way people watched videos online. Today, millions of people turn to YouTube every day for a wide range of content. From small channels run by new YouTube creators to accounts with millions of subscribers, YouTube offers videos on gaming, music, news, sports, and more. Users can choose to watch this content or create their own. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About YouTube shares the history, uses, and features of this fun and useful social media platform.

People have long said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Many Instagram users would likely agree. This smartphone app is one of the most popular social media platforms today. Users from all over the world log on to Instagram each day to share photos of themselves, their pets, nature, and more. Users also enjoy scrolling through Instagram to see what fun images or videos their friends have posted recently. People as young as thirteen years old can sign up for an Instagram page, but it is important to be cautious when using this and any other form of social media. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About Instagram shares the history, uses, and features of this fun and useful social media platform.

Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms today. Users from all over the world log on to Facebook's app or website daily to post updates about their lives, share photos and other media with friends, and see what the other people they know have posted recently. People as young as thirteen years old can sign up for a Facebook page, but it is important to be cautious when using this and any other form of social media. Part of the All About Social Media series, All About Facebook shares the history, uses, and features of this fun and useful social media platform.