Ten years is long time in anyone’s life, but it’s an eternity on the internet.

Back in 2002, the internet had 569 million users – 9.1 percent of the global population – who spent, on average, just 46 minutes a day online. Today, that figure is up to 2.27 billion, – one in every third person worldwide – spending an average of four hours a day.

And it’s easy to see why: websites in 2002, well, sucked. Relatively there was hardly any of them, and those we used were, looking back, pretty awful. Internet Explorer completely dominated the browser space, and the world of social networking basically came down to a single, innovative platform, Friendster.

How much has changed in ten years?

A lot. Social media has made a huge dent in the world, becoming a key, essentially too-big-to-fail part of our personal and professional lives. Broadband, wifi and the decrease in page-loading speeds revolutionized what we could do and share on the web, and businesses that refused to embrace new technologies – Blockbuster, Borders and Tower Records being three notable examples – ultimately paid the price.

This infographic takes a closer look at what has changed on the internet over the past ten years.

(Source: Best Education Sites. Social media image via Shutterstock.)