Facebook, Twitter and TikTok have enabled users to build relationships with brands and influencers. In an effort to recreate a sense of community, some are turning towards more intimate social networks.
It all began roughly two decades ago when Facebook erupted into the college scene as a way for students to stay connected. Shortly after, Twitter made it possible for people to share what they had for breakfast while Instagram permitted friends to view each other’s photographs in real time.
Discussion of how Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become increasingly brand and influencer-centric
Nowadays, when you scroll through your feeds on Instagram and Facebook, it’s filled with ads and sponsored posts. TikTok and Snapchat are overloaded with influencers recommending dish detergents and romantic matchmaking apps left right and center. Additionally, the most visible tweets will soon be those from users who have purchased exposure or extra benefits!
As of late, it’s becoming more arduous to find meaningful social posts on the largest sites. Instead of seeing pictures and stories from people we know, most of the time we see ads that companies or famous people have paid for. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat have been taken over by these ads.
This means that they are not as personal as they used to be.
This change affects a lot of things, like how people use large online sites. People used to go to one site for most things and play online games, bet virtual sports odds and chat with friends and other things they wanted to do. Now people use more sites that focus on one thing, like hobbies, interests, or gambling.
Examination of why some are turning to smaller social networks a sense of community
Declaring the end of platforms as we know them, Zizi Papacharissi, a communications professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago specializing in social media, boldly proclaimed that “they have outlived their utility.”
Some of the biggest websites that make a lot of money and have millions of people visiting are trying something different.
They are changing their business model. Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, is offering people and brands from $8-$1,000 a month if they become subscribers. Facebook’s parent company Meta has also taken great strides towards joining the metaverse; an advanced virtual world where consumers can interact through immersive online experiences.
People are using different kinds of websites to talk with each other
One type is called Mastodon which has many different communities. Another website is Nextdoor where people can talk about things in their neighborhood like potholes. Then there’s Truth Social created by President Trump for people who have conservative beliefs. People are choosing these smaller sites so they can stay connected and still have special conversations with others.
Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages associated with these smaller networks compared to larger ones
Professor Ethanuckerman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst public policy department, “The idea of selecting single network and controlling it all absurd. We need to embrace we’re members in several communities – this is simply a of what makes us human.”
Twitter answered questions with a poop emoji instead of talking about social networks.
Meta did not say anything and TikTok did not answer our questions. Snap said their app had gotten better but they still wanted to help people talk to their family and friends.
Years prior, some prominent figures in the world of social media already anticipated this transition from large platforms to smaller ones – Mark Zuckerberg (Meta CEO) and Jack Dorsey (Twitter co-founder) were two such examples among many others.
Ideas on how brands can use these new platforms for marketing purposes
Last year, Mr. Zuckerberg revealed in a Facebook post that private messaging and small groups were the most prevalent forms of online communication. Mr. Dorsey used to be the leader of Twitter. Now he is trying to promote networks that let people control what they do and see online. He has been showing this idea by posting on Nostr, which is a network made with his ideas in mind.
In the past 12 months, researchers and technologists have shifted their attention to smaller social networks.
Last month, Mr. Zuckerman and other academics published a paper titled “The Three-Legged Stool: A Manifesto for a Smaller, Denser Internet” that outlined how future companies can operate small networks at an economical rate.
MIT Media Lab and the University of Massachusetts Amherst made a new app. It’s called Gobo.
It will let you use lots of different social media sites like Twitter, Mastodon, Reddit and more. This app is coming soon! You can do lots of things with it if you switch between networks.
Tips on how individuals can best utilize them to stay connected with friends and family
It can be hard to find smaller social media sites. But sites like Mastodon or Reddit can help people find them. When you join Mastodon, there are lots of different topics like gaming, food, and activism that you can explore. Every month, over 1 billion posts are shared on Mastodon’s platforms. You don’t have to see ads or anything else that changes what you see in your news feed!
Small networks are good for people who need help. For example, Ahwaa helps people in countries where it is illegal to be gay.
Letterboxd is a place for people who like movies to talk about movies and share their opinions.
By moving to a smaller community, younger people may be able to alleviate some of the social pressures that come with using social media. In recent years, many news have surfaced – including congressional hearings concerning the effects of social media – regarding teenagers developing eating disorders due to constantly trying to look “Instagram perfect” and watching videos on TikTok.
With countless social media sites launching every day, one app to rule them all may seem impossible. Ms. Papacharissi says that BeReal, a photo-sharing app, was popular with teenagers last year. But now it is losing lots of users. Young people like to try out different apps and platforms. They do not stay loyal to just one for a long time. So they will not stick with the first one they find.
Concluding thoughts about what the future holds for social media
People are using different websites for different things. LinkedIn is for work accomplishments, Discord is for playing video games with friends, and Artifact is for talking about news events. These sites let people have conversations about what they like.
We are curious to know why some people join together in groups that are not on big sites like Twitter or Facebook. Ms Papacharissi said that these groups of people talk about special things.
Harvard University is the place where Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook in 2004 when he was a student. Now, they have a special program to help people explore new ways of using social media. This project helps students and others work together to make different kinds of networks.
Minus is an app created from the program that enables people to post only 100 posts in their timeline for life. This feature is meant to make people feel closer and appreciate the time they have together. It is different from websites like Facebook and Twitter which keep you looking at them for a long time until you get bored of it.
According to Jonathan Zittrain, a professor of law and computer science at Harvard who initiated the study, “It’s an experiment in performing arts. We understand that it doesn’t have to be this way as soon as we witness it!”
