It's been ten years since the launch of Facebook, the release of Mean Girls and Usher having the overall number one chart spot. But one of the biggest moments of 2004 was the premiere of the first episode of Lost, the television series which would go on to create six series, an entire community of fans and its own Encyclopaedia (Lostapedia). To celebrate its 10th anniversary we are taking a trip back in time to see what has changed…
Blogging
2004 was the year that blogging became much more mainstream. In 2004 'blog' was picked as the word of the year by a U.S dictionary and news sites were noticing that bloggers were just as influential when it came to reporting the latest news. By 2007 a new blog was being created every second. In 2014, blogging even has its own awards such as the Cosmo Blog Awards and the National UK Blog Award. With many bloggers making a living using the advertising and sponsorship deals from their blogs. Some have even gone on to become celebrities: blogger Zoella appeared on the cover of Company magazine earlier this year and is about to launch her own range of beauty products- in 2009 she was a little known beauty blogger taking photos of products in her room. Another beauty blogger Tanya Burr has launched a make-up range for Superdrug and feelunique.com. This is a whole new industry and career path that insiders are saying is still in its early stages.
Mobile Phones
The hot mobile phone to own in 2004 was the Motorola Razr. The phone had the ability to call and text, a few games and only the very lucky had wireless internet access. After the success of the Razr, in 2004 Motorola was boosted to the second biggest mobile phone makers worldwide, only being beaten by Nokia. However, the launch and popularity of the Motorola Razr led to huge competition in the mobile market. But nowadays, it's all about the iPhone with 24 hour access to emails, Facebook, twitter and with thousands of apps to download, it is impossible to switch off from the world and impossible to be bored. Apple is certainly raking in the benefits as 51.3 million iPhones were sold in the first quarter of 2014.
Online Dating
Back in 2004 it was perhaps a little bit socially unacceptable to be online dating (or at least openly admitting it). In 2005, 44% of internet users thought that online dating was a good way to meet people but this has since risen to 59% in 2013. However, in 2014 online dating has reached a whole new level with thousands of dating websites and apps. Tinder is an app that users can download which allows them to swipe through pictures of people in their local area and begin chatting if they fancy potentially meeting for a date. The tinder app receives 750 million swipes per day leading to around 10 million introductions. Furthermore, 17% of marriages have been made in the past year from couples who have met online.
VHS to Digital Downloads
DVD players were released in the year 2000 which meant, due to expense and the need to record, many of us enjoyed the pleasure of Lost and other great TV shows in VHS form. Since 2004, we have also seen the introduction of Blu-ray and digital HD- which led to huge competition between the different devices. However, now it is commonplace to access favourite films, TV shows and music by using a digital download.
TV Shows
Lost dominated the small screen (averaging 16 million viewers per episode), but it wasn't short on competition. Series such as Desperate Housewives and The X Factor, which both launched in 2004, were also huge with the Desperate Housewives' pilot episode raking in 21.3 million views. 2004 also saw the introduction of constructed reality shows - anyone remember Lauren Conrad's debut in Laguna Beach? In 2014 reality shows have taken over our screens in the form of Made In Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex and Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but we still love our American drama, too… Breaking Bad has become the highest rated TV show of all time (IMDB). And The X Factor is still going strong frequently being the most watched programme week after week (BARB).
Social Media
If you've ever seen The Social Network, you'll know that Facebook was launched back in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University; initially a way of rating which of the students presented on the site was better looking. After some recoding, renaming and a lawsuit, Facebook was born. However, 2004 also saw the rise in popularity of many other social media sites such as Myspace, LinkedIn and Flickr all for the purpose of sharing information, photos and meeting/keeping in touch. In 2014, social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram dominate the social media scene. Between 2012 and 2013 Twitter was the fastest growing network, with 44% growth and it had 550 million users at the beginning of this year. 20+ billion Instagram pictures have been shared on Instagram to date, with 23% of teens considering it their favourite social media site.
Music
Angsty guitar riffs. Smooth R&B. Pure, cheesy pop. 2004 had it all covered. Some artists have stood the test of time, with Pharrell releasing N.E.R.D's 'She Wants To Move' ten years before this year's top charting album GIRL. Whilst 2004 might have seen Usher party his way to the overall number 1 and 2 spots with 'Yeah' and 'Burn', number 3 was snapped up by Alesha Keys with 'If I Ain't Got You'. 2014 has been all about Pharrell Williams with 'Happy' topping the download charts of this year, closely followed by Clean Bandit with 'Rather Be' and John Legend with 'All of Me'. 2014 has also seen the rise of the DJ Calvin Harris, as the highest paid DJ in the world, he has earned a cool £39.8 million in the past 12 months (NME).
Coffee Shops
In need of a caffeine fix? In 2004 Starbucks had around 400 units in the UK which has now doubled to 800. There are now estimated to be between 15,000-20,000 coffee outlets in the UK and coffee shops are taking over high street. Even in the recession customers are willing to spend more than £2.50 on a cup of coffee. 'Let's go for a coffee' is a phrase that can be heard every day amongst daters, colleagues, friends and family. Macmillan cancer charity also managed to raise £20 million by encouraging people to host their own coffee mornings- the next big coffee morning is taking place on the 26th September and you can sign up here.
Online Shopping
Gone are the days where we had to leave our houses to go and find that perfect outfit- it is much more commonplace to be sitting in bed with your laptop, tablet or phone browsing through the virtual rails instead. Shopping on tablets and smartphones has increased by 18% in the UK and accounts for 6% of all retail sales. By the end of 2013 total online sales rose 18% year-on-year in December to £11.1bn and sales via mobile devices doubled to £3bn. Consumers are also enticed by special services with 80% of consumers more likely to purchase a product online when offered free shipping. And with online fashion magazines a completely styled look can be ordered with just one click. It's safe to say that fashion has definitely changed with low-rise jeans, tube tops, denim jackets, combat trousers, pink tinted sunglasses and rhinestones gracing the runways in 2004. This is all very different to the more tailored fashion we see in 2014 where runways are more likely to see pencil skirts, patterned trousers, blazers and 60s inspired dresses.
Films
Shrek 2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were the highest grossing films of 2004 but it's also been 10 years since audience favourites such as Mean Girls and The Notebook were released. 2014 hasn't been short of blockbusters though: The Lego Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent are some of the highest grossing films of the year so far.
Cameras
In 2004 Compact digital cameras rarely surpassed the 5 megapixel mark, with Canon named the best-selling brand for digital cameras. 2004 was also the year that Kodak announced they would no longer be making 35mm film cameras, due to the rise in digital technology. In 2014 you can buy compact digital cameras with 16 megapixels for less than £50. High quality has, yet again, become more affordable, but vintage-style cameras have also made a comeback, with high street retailer Urban Outfitters selling film models such as the Diana F+ and fisheye lens cameras. Miss the days of instant polaroid snaps? Look no further: Fujifilm have created the Instax Mini, reminiscent of the old-school Polaroid camera which prints your photos out straight away. It's already topping the Amazon best-sellers chart this year.
Popular celebrities
2004 saw Lindsay Lohan as queen of the big screen and Britney Spears was hot gossip as she released hit after hit from her album 'In the Zone'. Had the Mail Online have been what it is today, there's no doubt that these faces would have been plastered all over it. But this is 2014, and the Mail Online is very much a real thing, with stars such as Cara Delevigne, Jennifer Lawrence and Harry Styles regularly gracing its pages. And as for celebrity crushes, Jude Law was named the sexiest man alive in 2004 (People) with Britney as #1 for the sexiest woman alive (FHM). 2014 has Jennifer Lawrence on the top spot (FHM) with a male winner yet to be announced, strong contenders include Harry Styles, Tom Hardy and Eddie Redmayne (Glamour).
Today (Monday 22nd September) marks ten years since the first episode of ABC Studios LOST aired. All season are available to watch on demand through Sky Boxsets, NOW TV, Amazon Instant Video and TV from BT. To celebrate this milestone, vote for your favourite Lost moment for a chance to win a set of custom prints! You can also take the Lost quiz to see how long you would last on the island: http://goo.gl/MAFkTB
ABC Studios UK Social media pages are:
- ABC Studios UK
- @ABCStudiosUK
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