Social media platforms have become so ubiquitous in modern life that many users may take their surprisingly lengthy history for granted. In fact, the term “social media” had its genesis in Internet interactions in Tokyo in 1994, in what was known as “Matisse” (Aichner et al., 2021). Since then, many new platforms have been born, and the overall popularity of social media has grown exponentially. Their rise, along with the accompanying societal implications, forms the major focus of this chapter. A central theme will be the “Wild West” element that characterizes some aspects of social media, which has culminated in a strain of anti-intellectualism, bigotry, and rampant misinformation.