Social media is going through a significant transformation, as major US social media companies find themselves in a state of reinvention. After 25 years of dominating our attention and successfully monetizing it, these companies are seeking fresh ideas to capture our interest for the long haul. This evolution reflects a quarter-life crisis for social media, as it contemplates its place in society and its potential lifespan.
Around 18 months ago, Facebook believed that 3D immersion through face computers would revolutionize our online social experience. In fact, the company was so confident in this vision that it decided to change its name to Meta. However, realizing that simplicity might drive higher engagement, Meta recently introduced Threads, a Twitter-like feature for Instagram. This move highlights the constant search for innovation and reinvention within the social media industry.
Another example of this ongoing reinvention is TikTok’s recent introduction of text-based posts, similar to the Create feature found in Instagram Stories. This new option allows users to share their stories, poems, recipes, and other written content on TikTok. Text is touted as the future of social media, as platforms like TikTok and Twitter (which rebranded as X) strive to become all-encompassing apps, resembling China’s versatile WeChat platform. These adaptations aim to diversify content creation options and cater to users’ changing preferences.
While TikTok’s text feature appears to be an additive innovation, Twitter’s rebranding as X seems more superfluous. However, these changes are part of a greater evolution in the social media landscape. Companies are not only borrowing features from one another but also aggressively competing for users’ attention. In an effort to counter the unpredictable ad market and users’ limited capacity for using multiple social apps, companies are expanding their offerings to include subscriptions, shopping, payments, and AI-infused products.
Chris Messina, a software product designer credited with introducing the hashtag to Twitter, argues that the evaluation of these apps should be based on engagement and retention rather than innovation. He believes that social media now operates like a fashion industry, where success is measured by user engagement and loyalty. Messina also suggests that Twitter, now vulnerable amidst fierce competition from Meta and TikTok, is at risk of losing its former advertising base.
Meta’s early success with Instagram Threads, which garnered over 100 million sign-ups in under a week, can be largely attributed to its existing platform advantage. With over a billion people already using Instagram, migrating to Threads is an effortless process. However, this success can be seen as a quantitative rather than qualitative achievement. Reports indicate that daily active users on Threads have begun to dwindle, signaling the need for further improvements. Threads still lacks a web or desktop app, has yet to deliver on its promised chronological feed, and doesn’t support a more open-source protocol that Meta has claimed it would adopt.
In conclusion, social media is undergoing a transformative phase as established companies seek fresh ideas to sustain their relevance and success. This constant evolution has led to a culture of “borrowing” features and intensifying competition for users’ attention. While some of these changes may be perceived as innovative, others appear to be merely cosmetic. Regardless, social media companies are exploring various strategies, from introducing new features to expanding their offerings, in order to thrive in a dynamic and increasingly competitive landscape.
