The article titled “What’s next for social media?” explores the evolving landscape of social media platforms and trends, particularly in light of shifting user preferences and dissatisfaction towards established giants like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). The discussion primarily revolves around emerging platforms such as Butterflies AI, Bluesky, and Mozi, alongside the challenges they face and the potential shifts in user engagement and expectations.
Tech strategist Jay Springett shares his experiences with Butterflies AI, a platform that encourages interaction between human and AI personas. Springett describes his tenure on the app as intriguing but more observational than participatory. He likens the interaction to AIs crafting their own narratives, stating that this unique engagement model drew him in, even though he wouldn’t consider it worth paying for. Butterflies AI represents a broader trend where users seek innovative interactions distinct from the traditional usage of established social media platforms.
The dissatisfaction with major platforms is highlighted by data from Similarweb, suggesting a significant decline in daily active users on X by nearly 25% since January 2024 and a similar downward trend for Facebook. A Pew Research Center report indicates that the interest of younger audiences is also waning, with only a third of teens using these platforms compared to a much larger percentage a decade ago. This shift in user engagement is paving the way for the rise of smaller social media alternatives.
Bluesky, a platform that has quickly garnered millions of new users, is presented as a noteworthy contender in this changing landscape. Bluesky’s success is attributed not only to its timing but also to its unique architecture, which combines elements familiar to X users with extensive customization options for content moderation. This decentralized approach allows users to curate their feeds according to their preferences, clearly distinguishing it from the more centralized control seen in traditional social media networks.
Despite its rapid growth, experts caution that Bluesky faces the colossal challenge of scalability. Andy Tattersall from the University of Sheffield emphasizes that as the platform grows, it must effectively balance revenue generation, user safety, and content moderation. This delicate balance remains a daunting challenge for many new entrants into the social media market.
Backing efforts to establish a diverse and user-friendly social media ecosystem is the Free Our Feeds initiative, supported by notable public figures like Brian Eno and Mark Ruffalo. This foundation aims to raise significant funds to create a social media infrastructure built on the decentralized AT Protocol, which underpins Bluesky. The goal is to start an open ecosystem that ensures platforms operate in the public interest despite the risk of any singular entity holding too much power.
A critical issue for these fledgling platforms is the network effect articulated by Metcalfe’s Law, which states that a network’s value increases exponentially with more users. Established platforms, with their vast resources, create formidable barriers to entry for newer services. Non-profits like Free Our Feeds aim to tackle this issue, working towards developing a platform that aggregates content from various sources, thereby reducing the necessity for users to shift between different social media services.
Conversely, some new platforms are carving out niche areas rather than aiming to replace the major incumbents. One such platform is Mozi, founded by Twitter’s co-founder Ev Williams, which encourages in-real-life interactions by notifying users when they are in proximity to acquaintances. The vision for Mozi is to foster personal connections beyond the screen, representing a shift towards more meaningful engagements in social connectivity.
Mike McCue, CEO of Flipboard, envisions an era of innovation in social networking, predicting an influx of novel platforms offering users a wider array of choices. His company is currently developing “Surf,” an app that allows users to browse aggregated content from multiple platforms. This approach illustrates the potential for a fragmented yet enriching future where diverse services cater to different user needs, replacing the singular feed experiences that previously dominated the social media landscape.
In summary, as public sentiment shifts away from established social networks, new platforms like Butterflies AI and Bluesky are emerging, driven by unique engagement models and user-centered features. The pursuit of innovative solutions in areas such as decentralization, community engagement, and in-person connectivity underpins a larger transformation in how social media operates, heralding a promising evolution that could redefine online interactions and user expectations.
