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Is there room for any more social media platforms to take off?
We’ve seemed to reach an artificial peak for growth in social media platforms. The 2000s and early 2010s may as well be known the “social media boom” due to the emergence of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, and Snapchat. I’m aware TikTok launched in 2016, but it didn’t come into prominence other than through its merger with Musical.ly.
Now we’re in 2020, and most of us are using social media platforms that launched ~10-15 years ago. Most of these platforms, particularly Reddit, Instagram, and YouTube, remain extremely popular and are showing no signs of slowing down in growth.
The question is, what’s left for social media? Will we still be using Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube in 2030, or will there be other platforms that will take over? I know it’s hard to predict that far out, but I’ve always wondered what more can be done in the social media world. How can someone make a new platform that’s not just a copy of Instagram or YouTube, etc.
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19 Replies
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A VR based social media has a lot of runway
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This question seems to come up every now and then and it’s always curious looking at the answer. The thing about a lot of social networks is they didn’t start life in that way. If there is a new social network that emerges my feeling is it will be from something which started life as just another app that is useful and then has the social aspect added later. Think similar to Instagram (which was initially a photo filter app I believe). People don’t need another channel to connect with friends and family with. They need something that is useful or allows them to be creative. If it has a networking element then that will grow organically if the app is useful.
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Honestly I wana see real change in the social media world. The big companies main goal is profit and pushing ads. Im teaching myself how to code and making my own apps because hopefully one day I wana start a social media company that focuses on creating a platform that pushes actual social interaction not mining every bit of user data to sell to the highest bidder. But its a david vs Goliath situation.
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Always
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I think the future is for them to niche down. Specific features to server specific Niche’s
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Be on the watch for David Dobrik disposable app.
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I think with each generation we’ll get another wave of platforms, but I don’t think that has to mean the current kings get abandoned.
Right now it seems like Instagram is going the way of Facebook in the early 2010’s, in the sense that the platform remains popular, but it’s not the clear king it was in 2017-2018. The same way millennials shifted away from Facebook, to IG, when their parents started joining, it seems like Gen Z is creating their own space away from Instagram with Tik Tok. Millenials didn’t delete their Facebook accounts but they did start posting differently and/or less frequently. Gen Zers might not delete their IG but it may be fair to say they don’t view Insta with the same excitement that their older siblings did.
Unless a new business model for social media platforms comes into the picture, I think we’ll continue to see this pattern of peaking platforms where new platforms emerge as the #1 for 2-4 years and then slowly fall off as they begin introducing ads and limiting post reach.
Another thing that could happen is platforms climbing back to the top by introducing new features or redesigning their platform. If Facebook introduces the best VR social media platform, and links all of their other products/services into that new platform, then Facebook could become the most popular platform again in 8 years.
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Yes, I think social networks will always die out and new ones will sprout, but it takes more ad more time because people are slow to adapt. Twitter is beginning down a path of negativity that forced people to leave Facebook. Instagram is owned by Facebook now and is already seeing declines in users because their algorithms no longer support organic reach, its nearly completely pay to play. TikTok is organic and raw (for now). Spoon is on the rise as well, but it has been around for quite awhile. Its just about understanding how peoples experiences work on the social platforms. In general, negative experiences will lead to downfalls of platforms.
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someone makes a new social media platform every day. its all up to the amount of money they can throw away at marketing it.
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Decentralized social media on the blockchain is the next step.
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I believe the next form of Facebook or social media, won’t be called social. Something that encourages new interactions and rebuilds our social communities online and in person.
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I really hope so because I’ve spent a lot of time and money creating a healthier social network for meaningful connections and vulnerability. Social media has done a great job with helping people make connections and stay updated, but these platforms haven’t focused on developing and deepening relationships. I think this is due, in part, to the advertisement business model. There’s a rise in loneliness and depression, especially amongst teens, and I think social media plays a significant role in that.
I think there’s an opportunity to create both a new social app and business model that is inherently healthier than what exists. I can try to be optimistic and answer your question by saying “yes, there’s room. Here’s why I believe so”, but quite honestly I think breaking into this industry is going to continue being an uphill battle and it’s uncertain that there’s any room.
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yoi know what i want? a closed to family only share app.
prolly need to set up matrix or something like that but i want something premade. le sigh.
actually not even an app, a private site.
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Kind of dumb question to be honest, Let me put an example, after the first automotor was invented people said: whats left for walking? XD or when the first camera arrived people said something like oooh that must be It, drawings are dead
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Yep. TikTok is happening right now.
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