▁allowed ▁many ▁users ▁to ▁be ▁online ▁simultaneously . ▁Comp user ve , ▁Pro dig y ▁and ▁A OL ▁were ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁B BS ▁companies ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁migr ate ▁to ▁the ▁Internet ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁B BS es ▁number ed ▁in ▁the ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁alone . ▁Message ▁for ums ▁( a ▁specific ▁structure ▁of ▁social ▁media ) ▁arose ▁with ▁the ▁B BS ▁phenomen on ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁World ▁W ide ▁Web ▁( W W W , ▁or ▁" the ▁web ") ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁Internet ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁message ▁for ums ▁migr ated ▁to ▁the ▁web , ▁becoming ▁Internet ▁for ums , ▁primarily ▁due ▁to ▁che aper ▁per - person ▁access ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁handle ▁far ▁more ▁people ▁simultaneously ▁than ▁tel co ▁mode m ▁banks . ▁ ▁Digital ▁imag ing ▁and ▁sem icon duct or ▁image ▁sensor ▁technology ▁facil itated ▁the ▁development ▁and ▁rise ▁of ▁social ▁media . ▁Adv ances ▁in ▁metal - ox ide - sem icon duct or ▁( M OS ) ▁sem icon duct or ▁device ▁fabric ation , ▁reaching ▁smaller ▁mic ron ▁and ▁then ▁sub - mic ron ▁levels ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s