CARLOS BONILLA
On Friday of last week, June 30, World Social Media Day was celebrated, established to pay tribute to the influence and impact that these platforms have had on modern society. It is opportune to reflect on the way in which these tools have transformed the way in which we communicate, share information and relate to each other in today’s society. In addition, they have become a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise in this constantly evolving digital environment.
It was in 1995, with the emergence of the Internet, that the idea of a social network migrated to the digital world and began to take shape in the site called classmates.com. In 1997, SixDegrees was created, which is considered the first social network in the world, a network that made it possible to locate other members of the network and create lists of friends, and which was based on the theory of the six degrees of separation, which claims that it is possible to connect with anyone else.
The new forms of social relationship generated by social networks cause a transformation in the habits and customs of society. The Internet and the explosive expansion of social networks have detonated progress thanks to the fact that they make it possible to share information in real time among fully identified audiences.
The increase in online activities in the last decade has encouraged the digitization of other daily habits that used to be carried out only in person, such as socializing. Since the massification of digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, social networks have become an indispensable means of communication and interaction. In Mexico, the number of users of social networks is constantly increasing, and is expected to exceed 100 million in 2023.
Mexican favorites
After experiencing a user boom since 2010, Facebook’s golden years in Mexico, as well as globally, belong to the past. The number of active Facebook users in Mexico has not stopped decreasing since the beginning of 2020. Even in January 2022, this social network lost first place in the list of those preferred by Mexican users, surpassed by WhatsApp, also owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Among the social networks that entered the Mexican market is TikTok, one of the favorites of the youngest. This platform of Chinese origin reported a record number of downloads in Mexico, almost simultaneously with the decline registered in the use of Facebook.
Social networks and messaging applications are two of the most common forms of communication today. Therefore, it is not surprising that, both in the ranking of applications by number of downloads and in the number of active users, these are the most used. The case of TikTok deserves a special mention, whose popularity has risen meteorically to become the most downloaded app in several months of 2021 and 2022. The clear presence of Meta is also appreciated through its three most recognized products both in Mexico and abroad. its borders: WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
The majority of Mexican netizens connect to the Internet on a daily basis. The increase in online activities in the last decade has encouraged the digitization of other daily habits that used to be carried out only in person, such as socializing. Since the massification of digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, social networks have become an indispensable means of communication and interaction. In Mexico, the number of users of social networks is constantly increasing, and is expected to exceed 100 million in 2023.