5 ways social media have changed the internet in 2022
If you've been on this planet long enough, you surely remember the beginnings of social networks, and, with potentially mild discomfort, you certainly also recall the content you posted back then. Nothing like it today, right?
Social networks have already changed the way we communicate, view ourselves and others, and even how we work and perform basic everyday activities. And, as we're accustomed to, they continue to change everything. During 2022, several key moments occurred that immediately made it clear to us that we are entering another new era, which, if we may conclude, will lean towards "two A's" - authenticity and alternatives.
BeReal
How daring is it to go from zero to having BeReal installed and then have no problem posting what you are actually doing when you receive the "Time to BeReal" notification? This application has taken us back to the early days of social networks, when we had the opportunity not only to follow what our friends were doing (without being interrupted by advertisements) but also to do it "raw," without any filter. Users were tired of "ironic" content and sought honesty, real stories, and real people. Moreover, scrolling through BeReal posts is endlessly fun because the people there are extremely creative and 100% ready to let us into their everyday lives, no matter how "unesthetic" it may seem.
Proof that this approach to social networks actually has potential is Instagram's move to retain its audience and "be cool" by introducing an identical option called "Candid Challenges." Thus, in 2023, we can expect an increase in the popularity of such content, as well as a healthier consumption of social networks.
NFT
The beginning of 2022 was marked by the launch of NFTs as a status symbol on Twitter - in January, the social network allowed users who paid for the "blue badge" to showcase their NFTs in their profile photos, allowing them to stand out from the rest. By September of the same year, Meta also introduced this option on Facebook and Instagram, but only for users in the United States of America.
Many believe that NFTs are here to stay, as their possibilities are limitless and extend beyond mere collecting or sharing tweets, photos, and other content on social networks. Of course, the greatest potential is seen in business and economic applications.
The new Google
No matter when you started using the Google search engine, we believe not a day has passed without you thanking this "miracle" of technology. That's why you might find it surprising that today, almost 40% of young people don't use Google to search for information, but rather - TikTok! Some also use Instagram. And, the slightly older and wiser ones use ChatGPT.
It's impossible to say that Google as such will ever cease to exist, but the fact is that it will need to adapt its search methods to respond to the need to access desired information even faster, without wasting much time.
A replacement for Instagram
Although Instagram remains one of the most popular social networks that neither users, brands, nor marketers are giving up on (and they shouldn't), there is a noticeable migration to other platforms. Additionally, the popularity of social networks that don't necessarily compete with them in terms of content is increasing. TikTok and BeReal are not the only ones that come to mind - there's also Glass, Grainery, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Hive Social, Mastodon, etc.
Users' desire to find new social networks to spend time on may be related to their need for different content, but also to their desire to express themselves differently, perhaps even more authentically.
R.I.P. Twitter
The "sweetest" news came at the very end of 2022, with Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, resulting in the disappearance of this social network as we knew it until then. It's truly a question of which direction Twitter will take, but many users share the idea that they no longer belong to such a community.
The consequence is a renewed search for alternatives (Mastodon is one of them), as well as a management approach based on the belief that "freedom of expression is too important to allow one person or company to control it." Actually, this sounds like a principle applicable much more widely than just to any social network.
Text written for the Marketing mreža website by: Ivana Tomić, Smartpoint Adria Brand Specialist
Photo: Unsplash