The 2000s were a time when internet access got cheaper, the World Wide Web started becoming more accessible to everyday people and the world of online interaction and social networks started to explode onto the scene, with sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube shaping the internet into a place where users of all stripes could create and share, and inventions like the smartphone allowing web access in your pocket everywhere you go.

2000

▪️Online dating site eHarmony is founded.

▪️DeviantArt is founded.

▪️The three-minute film 405 goes viral on the internet and demonstrates the power of digital distribution, rivaling major film and TV studios.

▪️The animated web series Happy Tree Friends is released.

▪️The animated web series Homestar Runner is released.

▪️The web game Bejeweled is released.

2001

▪️Apple introduces the Mac operating system macOS (originally named Mac OS X).

▪️Microsoft introduces content management system SharePoint.

▪️Google Images is introduced.

▪️Satellite-based 3D representation of Earth is introduced as Google Earth.

▪️Wikipedia is launched.

▪️Metacritic is launched.

▪️Shrek is released in theaters.

2002

▪️Google News is introduced.

▪️Smosh is created by Anthony Padilla.

▪️Alien Hominid is released on Newgrounds.

▪️The Japanese visual novel Popotan is released for the PC and a dancing meme is born.

2003

▪️Apple introduces the web browser Safari.

▪️Microsoft introduces Skype.

▪️LinkedIn is launched.

▪️WordPress is launched.

▪️Online index The Pirate Bay is launched.

▪️MySpace is launched.

▪️Friendster is launched.

▪️Anonymous imageboard site 4chan is launched.

▪️Anime-themed social forum-based site Gaia Online is founded.

▪️Valve introduces the digital distribution service Steam.

▪️Linden Lab introduces the virtual world Second Life.

2004

▪️Mozilla introduces the web browser Firefox.

▪️Google introduces Gmail.

▪️Crowd-sourced business review site Yelp is introduced.

▪️Grubhub is founded.

▪️Facebook is launched.

▪️Flickr is launched.

▪️Vimeo is launched.

▪️Wiki hosting service Fandom is founded as an entertainment-themed encyclopedia that dives deeper into fan-favorite topics than Wikipedia does.

2005

▪️Google Maps is introduced.

▪️YouTube is launched.

▪️Dailymotion is launched.

▪️Reddit is launched.

▪️The Huffington Post is founded.

▪️TMZ is founded.

▪️Amazon introduces the subscription service Amazon Prime.

▪️Pepe the Frog makes his comic debut. By 2015 he will be unofficially adopted by hate groups and by 2016 Pepe the Frog is labeled a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.

▪️The animated short Charlie the Unicorn is released on Newgrounds.

▪️The U.S. version of The Office makes its television debut.

2006

▪️Cloud computing office suite Google Workspace is introduced.

▪️Google Translate is introduced.

▪️Facebook introduces News Feed.

▪️Tech real estate company Zillow is founded.

▪️WikiLeaks is launched.

▪️Buzzfeed is founded.

▪️Twitter is launched.

▪️Spotify is launched.

▪️Wattpad is launched.

▪️The streaming service Amazon Prime Video is launched.

▪️The streaming service Crunchyroll is launched.

▪️Bo Burnham makes his YouTube debut.

▪️Animated children’s song and nursery rhyme channel Cocomelon makes its YouTube debut.

▪️Christmas-themed interactive site Elf Yourself is introduced.

2007

▪️Apple introduces the iPhone, the first smartphone with an internet browser. That same year they introduce the mobile operating system iOS.

▪️Google Street View is introduced.

▪️Apple introduces Apple TV.

▪️Audio streaming service SoundCloud is founded.

▪️Tumblr is launched.

▪️The three most popular porn sites XVIDEOS, xHamster and Pornhub are all launched.

▪️Funny or Die is founded.

▪️DVD rental service Netflix is launched as a streaming service.

▪️Hulu is launched.

▪️”2 Girls 1 Cup” is released.

2008

▪️Cloud computing system Microsoft Azure is introduced.

▪️Google introduces the mobile operating system Android.

▪️Google introduces the web browser Chrome. Google Chrome eventually overshadows Internet Explorer in popularity and overtakes Safari as the dominant mobile web browser.

▪️The app store Google Play is introduced.

▪️Cloud-based filing system Dropbox is introduced.

▪️DuckDuckGo is launched.

▪️The singer Justin Bieber is discovered on YouTube and becomes one of the earliest celebrities to transcend internet fame and enter the mainstream.

▪️Miranda Sings makes her internet debut.

▪️Stuff You Should Know makes its podcast debut.

▪️The first rage comic is published on 4chan.

2009

▪️Microsoft introduces the search engine Bing.

▪️Mobile payment service Venmo is founded.

▪️Ride sharing service Uber is introduced.

▪️Pinterest is launched.

▪️WhatsApp is launched.

▪️Q&A site Quora is founded.

▪️Imgur is founded.

▪️Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter is launched.

▪️WTF with Marc Maron makes its podcast debut.

▪️The Joe Rogan Experience makes its podcast debut.

▪️The webcomic Axe Cop is released.

▪️Agriculture sim FarmVille is released on Facebook.

▪️Minecraft is first introduced to the public. Minecraft-related YouTube videos would go on to become the most-watched video game content on the site, exceeding one trillion views.