The Evolution of Instant Messaging
Maybe you’re like me and find that when your phone rings, your reaction is one of surprise. I mean, after all, who calls anyone anymore? Instant messaging (IM) made its world debut back in ‘96. Do the math: That’s over 20 years ago! In 1997, it was AOL’s AIM that took the internet world by storm. When MSN Messenger was released in 1999 (it was renamed Windows Live Messenger in 2005), I remember feeling so cool at the prospect of adding new contacts to my ever-growing list. The sweet sound of a message received was, well… life. I was connected. I was accessible. And, like many of my peers, I was addicted to it.
Another huge contributor to the rise of IM was the language. This abbreviated form of writing — lol, brb, omg — also known as textese, contributed to the growth of IM. There are people that argue that this new era of talking with your fingers is the death of the english language. However, others may refer to this type of communication as an essential part to the quick and casual vibe that is synonymous with IM. I, myself, land somewhere in the middle of these two viewpoints. But, enough about me.
If we’re talking numbers, during the early 2000s, AIM had 53 million users while MSN Messenger had over 330 million users. In spite of these awe inspiring figures, these platforms were bound to a personal computer — how primitive!
Flash forward to 2009 and you’re standing face-to-smartphone with WhatsApp. According to LifeWire, WhatsApp is to be attributed with the demise of SMS. At that time, sending an SMS cost you money. Therein lay the allure of this new, limitless technology that didn’t penalize you for being your “text social” self.
To take it a step further, WhatsApp was both iOS and android friendly. Now, that’s what I call blurred lines for the good of humankind.
Tech Today, Fad Tomorrow
In April 2014, an IM app designed to send one word — yo — was launched. TechCrunch provided a neat little synopsis on the possible origins of the word yo. For instance, sailors in the Navy responded yo when called upon. Another narrative traces the word back to African-American and Italian-American communities in 1940s Philadelphia. Irrespective of where, when or by whom the word was birthed, creating an app with the sole purpose of sending one word seems absurd to me! Yet, before the official launch date, the creator secured 1.2 million dollars in funding and had over 50,000 users by June 2014.
The article goes on to say that:
“The context of the Yo says much more than two little letters. And this is more important than it sounds…the app has turned into something more universally enjoyable, and its brief popularity tells us something bigger about where the mobile social landscape is headed. We’re seeing the death of digital dualism play out before us.”
The most intriguing aspect of this quote for me was the reference to digital dualism which is the belief that digital content is part of a “virtual” world separate from a “real” world found in physical space. As a future Digital Media Virtuoso, I’m unsure of where I stand with regards to this ideology. How about you? Please share your thoughts :)
As a final note: I’m a user of the word yo in text and in speech amongst my friends, but the novelty of this app is lost on me… and Stephen Colbert.
Links to Sources:
- https://techcrunch.com/2014/06/18/yo-yo/
- https://mashable.com/2012/10/25/instant-messaging-history/
- https://www.lifewire.com/reasons-why-whatsapp-is-popular-3426372
- http://ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/
- https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29046/digital-dualismhttps://mashable.com/2012/10/25/instant-messaging-history/#.mBE4tB7XPqA
