Social networks have grown in importance in the past few years. In 2020, around four billion people – and thus more than half of the world’s population – were active on social media.
This is remarkable when you consider that the SixDigrees.com website only went online in 1996 and is now considered the archetype of social networks. Social media giant Facebook was only added in 2004. Today, Facebook, along with Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok and countless other small and large platforms, plays an important role in the lives of many people.
But what does the future look like in the social media sector? Which topics and trends are emerging? Where are social networks developing? And what does that mean for us?
Data protection vs. visibility
Data protection and visibility are important topics in social media. The interests are quite contradicting one another. Private users want their data to be secure and not inadvertently reveal too much. But social networks are no longer just private virtual meeting places. They are becoming more and more important for online marketing by companies. They want to be found, pursue targeted marketing, but also gain information about their target group in the networks. As an entrepreneur increase your social media visibility with Followersnet or by similar measures to generate attention and operate successful marketing.
Marketing interests run counter to the need to protect personal data. It remains to be seen whether and how this can be agreed in the future.
Monetization yes or no?
The operators of social media sites are increasingly looking for ways to make their platforms more lucrative without data trading. Advertising is one such possibility. However, it is not very popular with users. That is why many operators are also considering premium access that offers exclusive content and options.
As data trading is becoming more and more difficult from a legal point of view, such monetizations will probably be found more frequently on social media in the future.
Freedom of expression vs. censorship
Where does freedom of expression end and where does censorship begin? Difficult sociopolitical issues like these have long been an issue for social media. Fake news, hatred and agitation spread particularly quickly and many operators are criticized for their behavior on this topic. It is not always easy to draw the line between expression of opinion and insult or agitation. And when pictures or videos are considered offensive, there are always inconsistencies.
To the The subject of regulation in the network a number of debates are likely to continue in the future.
New technologies, new opportunities
The smartphone is changing the way we use social media. The importance of the mobile user experience is increasing and the platforms are adapting their technologies accordingly. The communication options are also becoming more and more convenient for users. Voice messages and the help of voice assistants are becoming increasingly important. The great success of TikTok shows that video sequences also meet with great interest and take up more and more space in use.
Ultimately, however, this is probably just the beginning of future developments. With artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, completely new possibilities will open up. Instead of sending messages and uploading videos, in the future we may meet for a chat in artificial realities.
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