Remember when you first downloaded Facebook? What a rush! All you saw were your friends and their new statuses. You couldn’t wait to log on, and afterwards, you’d log off—back to the real world. Today, the experience has changed beyond recognition; we’re consuming a near-constant stream of media. With our friends replaced by influencers and celebrities, we’ve collectively forgotten what social media was meant to be.

According to the Wall Street Journal, fewer people are posting about their lives online—something we can all attest to. Some have even developed a sense of dread surrounding posting to their feed. However, it looks like better things may be on the horizon.

The original social media platforms were designed solely to connect you with your own network, but as their popularity grew and influencers crept in, we’ve transitioned fully into the #ageofad. You’re far more likely to see Kim Kardashian in your feed (even if you don’t follow her) compared to a life update from a close friend. However, it does seem as though we are yearning for a more social experience.

Firstly, we’re starting to unfollow macro influencers, especially due to failure to stand up for social issues. In May 2024, many celebrities were put on a ‘block list’ after failing to speak up for Gaza – Kim Kardashian lost more than 3 million followers overnight. Celebrities are no longer seen as ‘idols’ so much as flawed people, who we can choose to pay attention to – or not.

On top of this, the UGC space is growing as people seek recommendations from more trustworthy sources. According to a recent survey by The Drum, 86% of people are more likely to trust a brand that publishes user-generated content, compared to just 12%, who are inclined to purchase a product promoted by an influencer. We want to hear from more ‘regular’ people, especially when it comes to influencing our purchase decisions. We’ve spoken about this before, but aspirational has given way to relatable, which is hard to achieve when you present yourself as ‘above’ culture, without necessarily partaking in it.

We’re also seeing an emergence of ‘challenger’ apps attempting to offer a new model for social media. One such app, epitomising the drive for authenticity and reconnecting with our actual friends, is BeReal. The once-a-day impromptu photo sharing app saw astronomic growth following its 2020 launch. However, this soon tanked, from 73.5 million active users at its peak in 2022, to 23 million active users in January 2024, the app is struggling to remain relevant.

There have been several hypotheses about this. Perhaps we are just too used to our current social media experiences. As Dazed argue in ‘The Death of BeReal’: we don’t want to be told when and how to log on, we don’t want to be locked out until we post, and ultimately there is such a thing as too much authenticity. Yes, we’re interested in our friends’ lives, but not so interested that we want to see the corner of their face as they lie in bed bingeing Netflix for the 100^th day in a row.

Another recent challenger is NoPlace, a MySpace-esque social network which hit no.1 on the app storefollowing a viral hype around its launch. You can share songs on your profile, join groups according to your interests and post short form notes to a chronological (yay!) feed. This makes the experience more personalised and more sociable, and as popularity is not dictated by algorithms, it means that everyone can join the conversation.

I downloaded it to have a look around (purely for research!). I wanted to love it but if I’m being honest, it’s very unlikely to get adopted by the masses. The interface is very retro – which is fun for a little while, but it doesn’t offer a user experience on-par with anything we’re used to. Plus, if anything, we’re trying to lessen our reliance on social media. We aren’t looking for new apps.

So, while these challenger apps are useful indicators of the appetite for new social experiences, the real change will come when the existing leaders respond.

We are starting to see new, more sociable, features rolled out by the big names.

To name a few:

Instagram recently added a music feature to the profile page, meaning you can decide which song plays when people click on your profile. It’s fun, it allows you to express your personality … and it’s been done before! We seem to be heading back to the early days of social media, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Another interesting feature is the ability to comment on stories. Lately it’s rare to make a feed post, it’s way too much commitment. Our preferred method of posting is sharing to stories, which only last 24 hours. However, you can’t comment on stories in the same way, making this more of a one-way broadcast to our followers. In a recent update Instagram introduced story comments to facilitate two-way conversations between friends. Very sociable.

Finally, both TikTok and Instagram are leaning into DMs.

For TikTok this is desperately needed, because the algorithmic For-You-Page focus makes the app a predominantly voyeuristic experience. We aren’t following anyone, talking to anyone, or posting anything, we are just consuming. The recent update allows you to form group chats with your friends, so you can at least share and discuss the content you are watching.

In a similar vein, Instagram responded to user’s concerns about never seeing their friends’ posts:

“Friends post a lot more to stories and send a lot more DMs than they post to Feed.”

As a result, they are testing a new format which prioritizes DMs. This feature has been rolled out to some users:

As per this example, the messaging icon may be moved front and center, rather than being tucked away in its current corner.

These are small changes, but they show that the social media giants are hearing our calls for a more sociable experience. If we continue along this trajectory, we just might head back to MySpace after all.

As a brand today, social media is an essential tool to reach your audience. However, as consumers start to reject ads, and unfollow influencers, how can you maintain those relationships?

1. Put people first. As evidenced by this post, we want to see real people on our feeds, so opt for genuine, personable content over stylized product shots.
2. Encourage existing customers to create UGC. Consider offering incentives like discounts in exchange for creating a video or using a hashtag. This is more likely to guarantee a sale, compared to influencer posts which 51% of us would scroll right past.
3. Don’t underestimate the value of offline experiences. While apps are heading in a more positive direction, nothing is as truly social as IRL connection. Consider ways to bring your audience together in-person.