I used to spend hours on social media. Scrolling, posting, participating & convincing myself it was all “connection” when it felt extra like obligation.
Now? I barely open the apps anymore.
It’s not simply me. Folks in every single place are drained. Uninterested in algorithms that reward outrage, bored with seeing the identical recycled content material, and bored with platforms that appear extra centered on income than individuals.
Twitter, or “X,” because it’s now awkwardly referred to as, looks like a ghost city. Half the consumer base is gone, the opposite half are loopy. Meta’s platforms, Fb and Instagram, aren’t doing a lot better. Each replace looks like a determined seize for consideration, however we’re all too burnt out to care.
And but, we’re not carried out with social media. Not completely.
The Rise of “Smaller, Higher” Platforms
New platforms are popping up in every single place, promising to repair what’s damaged. Mastodon. Bluesky. Substack. All of them declare to be extra moral, much less poisonous, and constructed for actual connection.
A few of them really ship.
Substack, for instance, is prospering. Writers and creators are ditching algorithm-driven feeds for newsletters that go on to readers who really need their content material. It’s not social media within the conventional sense, however it’s private, sustainable, and most significantly, algorithm-free.
Patreon has been round a very long time however lately gained a surge in members. Persons are utilizing it not simply to assist creators however as a neighborhood hub. It feels extra like an unique membership than a free-for-all, and possibly that’s the enchantment. Smaller, area of interest audiences over mass engagement.
And Bluesky? It’s making an attempt to really feel like “outdated Twitter,” the model we liked earlier than issues went off the rails. It’s nonetheless early days, however individuals appear to be rooting for it as a result of they’re determined for an alternate.
What Comes Subsequent?
The reality is, we don’t actually know the place that is all headed. Social media isn’t going away, however the best way we use it’s altering quick.
Folks need management again. They’re transferring towards platforms that respect their time, consideration, and privateness. Platforms the place creators don’t really feel like they’re yelling right into a void whereas algorithms bury their posts.
However let’s be sincere, even the newer platforms aren’t excellent. Mastodon is sophisticated. Bluesky feels unfinished. And if historical past tells us something, it’s that as quickly as a platform will get too large, it begins to fall into the identical traps as those we’re forsaking.
Nonetheless, the shift is going on. We’re bored with taking part in the algorithm’s sport, bored with limitless doom-scrolling, and bored with being handled like knowledge as an alternative of individuals.
The way forward for social media won’t even seem like “social media” in any respect. Possibly it’s smaller communities, email-based content material, or platforms we haven’t even heard of but.
However one factor’s clear: persons are prepared for one thing higher.
And this time, they’re not afraid to stroll away to seek out it.
