6 Websites That Changed The World
The internet has disrupted our lives in every way imaginable, but which sites have been the most outstanding?
The way we live now bears no resemblance to the life we knew before the internet. As Generation Z reaches maturity we will find ourselves surrounded by mature adults who have been reared online, knowing nothing of the beauty of a handwritten letter or the struggle of getting answers from an encyclopaedia.
But which websites have truly brought about the biggest changes in our society? There are a handful which have cemented themselves as pillars of the online world; webizens the world over can’t imagine a life without at least a few of these sites.
Below are 6 websites which changed the world forever:
Although Facebook is by no stretch of the imagination the pioneer in social media platforms, it has become synonymous with communication and is so integrated into our lives that many of us couldn’t live without it.
Facebook has changed the world one step at a time, acquiring brands such as Instagram and WhatsApp in its quest for control of the online conversation. Its primary goal is to bring friends together, a message which is highlighted in their current ‘Friends’ campaign which can be seen advertised in a bus shelter or on a billboard near you.
Google’s story speaks for itself. From humble beginnings as a method to sort and search through the vast information available on the web, the website has grown as an entity to encompass a search engine, a social media platform and an all-round life organisation tool.
Now synonymous with search, ‘Googling’ something is a globally recognised term. Indeed, nowadays, we needn’t stray from Google for any of our needs; every tool we could imagine to need in our business and personal lives is catered for in the sprawling Google toolbox.
Bringing the car boot sale to the online sphere, Pierre Omidyar founded eBay.com back in 1995 to make sure his fianceé could still collect Pez dispensers when they upped and moved to Silicon Valley (true story).
The online retailer for just about any buy and sell you could imagine, eBay is a global giant. Companies and individuals alike make their living from selling on eBay, a site which is still going strong 20 years later.
Perhaps the most useful library of information in the world at large, Wikipedia was a game changer for university students and inquisitive minds around the world. For those elders who spent their time in education poring over an encyclopaedia, there may be a feeling of bitterness towards today’s generation who can find out just about anything they like with a simple search.
Unfortunately, due to the open nature of Wikipedia the site can come under attack for containing erroneous content. This is policed by the Wikipedia team, although at times errors can go unnoticed for long periods of time. Regardless of this, though, the site still attracts almost 1 million visitors a day.
At a mere decade old, YouTube.com has gone from strength to strength as the world’s go-to place for all video content. Nowadays many people around the world make their living from being a ‘YouTuber’, a profession which can attract the big money.
A minefield of hilarious, thought-provoking and at times distressing video content, millions of people around the world have lost hours of their lives to its variety of clips.
Pegged as the company who revolutionised the way we watch our films and TV shows, Netflix has become a global phenomenon in recent years, in accordance with advancements in data transfer standards.
Netflix actually originated in the ‘90s, being founded in 1997 as an online film rental service. An example of a reactionary company who has succeeded in a time of Digital Darwinism, Netflix now has over 50 million global members who browse endlessly through a sea of digital content to which many of us (me included) have lost days of their lives.
With this list we barely scratch the surface of the minefield of innovative and life-changing websites available on the net today. Can you think of another genius website? Send us a Tweet @UK2.