We like to keep an eye on what’s happening in the ever-changing world of social media. That especially means that watch the big players like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Among those listed, Twitter has had arguably one of the most influential online presences since its beginning in 2006.
Yet only 10 years into its life, the little blue bird we’ve come to love seems to be struggling to thrive in its very competitive niche (pardon the nature/marketing pun).
Twitter seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis, and a lack of censorship for users. The New Yorker has a very indepth and interesting article on this topic, and is worth the read. Facebook, on the other hand, is very intune with what it is as a company. They have had continual growth and success with their product and identity, and will likely reap in the benefits of that growth for next few years (until the next big public privacy issue, that is).
It’s interesting to think about what might become of social media in just a few years from now. How will it adapt to the user’s needs? Will it even be relevant? What alternatives might there be? We know of a few new platforms coming out strong like Wanelo and Ello, that may take some of the thunder away from the social media sites we know and love.
It’s likely that Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms will not die out, but rather adapt and change as we do.