Beyond the videos, the "vibe" of this era was built on specific, now-forgotten trends:
Shutter shades, trucker hats, sweatbands as fashion, and low-rise jeans.
The explosion of Minecraft and World of Warcraft content creators changed how we consumed gaming media.
Smart technology became the norm, and content aggregators like BuzzFeed began tracking viral moments. This period brought us "Gangnam Style" (the first video to hit 1 billion views), Bad Luck Brian , and the Cinnamon Challenge .
AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) for chatting, playing Flash games on sites like Candystand, and the rise of the "emo-volution" with MySpace profiles.
The release of the first iPhone in 2007 planted the seeds for a mobile-friendly internet. This era saw the rise of the Rickroll and the legendary " Evolution of Dance " video, which held the title of YouTube's most-viewed video until 2009.
The mid-2010s were defined by short-form chaos. The Harlem Shake went massive in 2013, followed by " Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life " and the Luigi Death Stare in 2014. By 2015, Vine reached its peak with hits like "Why you always lyin'?" and Drake's "Hotline Bling" . Nostalgic Artifacts of the Era
YouTube was brand new, and users were just figuring it out. Memes like "Leave Britney Alone" and "Chocolate Rain" shaped pop culture. It was also the year Twitter launched and Facebook began expanding beyond colleges.
Beyond the videos, the "vibe" of this era was built on specific, now-forgotten trends:
Shutter shades, trucker hats, sweatbands as fashion, and low-rise jeans.
The explosion of Minecraft and World of Warcraft content creators changed how we consumed gaming media.
Smart technology became the norm, and content aggregators like BuzzFeed began tracking viral moments. This period brought us "Gangnam Style" (the first video to hit 1 billion views), Bad Luck Brian , and the Cinnamon Challenge .
AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) for chatting, playing Flash games on sites like Candystand, and the rise of the "emo-volution" with MySpace profiles.
The release of the first iPhone in 2007 planted the seeds for a mobile-friendly internet. This era saw the rise of the Rickroll and the legendary " Evolution of Dance " video, which held the title of YouTube's most-viewed video until 2009.
The mid-2010s were defined by short-form chaos. The Harlem Shake went massive in 2013, followed by " Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life " and the Luigi Death Stare in 2014. By 2015, Vine reached its peak with hits like "Why you always lyin'?" and Drake's "Hotline Bling" . Nostalgic Artifacts of the Era
YouTube was brand new, and users were just figuring it out. Memes like "Leave Britney Alone" and "Chocolate Rain" shaped pop culture. It was also the year Twitter launched and Facebook began expanding beyond colleges.