Sixdegrees.com: A Social Media Origin Story

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck delve into the history of SixDegrees.com, regarded as the first social media website, founded in 1997 by Andrew Weinreich. They explore its early success, challenges such as slow internet speeds and lack of digital photos, and its eventual decline despite garnering about three and a half million users. The hosts discuss the concept of "six degrees of separation," its connection to Stanley Milgram's study, and the evolution of social media platforms, comparing SixDegrees to later sites like Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook. They also touch on the founder's subsequent ventures and read a listener email related to impression management and autism.