There hasn’t been a social media platform that has gained significant traction over the last few years. We are definitely due for a new social media breakthrough, but what will it look like?
The social media landscape has been ever-changing for the past twenty years. New platforms have taken over the public consciousness every few years. First, it was Facebook, which allowed users to document their lives with friends, family, and even random old coworkers they haven’t spoken to in years. More recently, there has been TikTok: a place where people can easily create and consume curated content.
There have been a plethora of apps that have dominated the mainstream. That was, until recently. Over the past few years, it seems that there have been no new social media sites that have been able to gain widespread recognition. This is leading many people to wonder: What’s next?
The next major platform needs to do something new, while maintaining the features that drew people to social media in the first place. The best way for a platform to truly take over is to look at what has worked in the past and what can be improved on in the future. For all of you aspiring app developers out there, take notes.
Facebook: Real connections
Facebook is one of the earliest social media mainstays, and is still the biggest. The site was originally founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his colleagues at Harvard University. The purpose of this platform was to make real-life connections from an online space.
Initially, Facebook was a website where college students could connect with other people at their university. It eventually expanded past college campuses and has grown to be the biggest social media platform today, with over 3 billion monthly users.
The idea of Facebook is that of honesty. Users have to sign up under their own name rather than an anonymous username. The purpose of Facebook has been to connect with the people around you. Now, people mostly use it to stay in touch with friends and family.
What is the main draw of Facebook is also its setback. Many younger social media users prefer a platform where they can create multiple profiles for different reasons. For this reason, Facebook has sort of become the grandma app of social media. Younger users typically go to stalk the page of their ex-boyfriend’s mom rather than to actually post. Let’s face it: Facebook is a little bit too real sometimes.
YouTube: Creative entertainment
With around 2.5 billion monthly users, YouTube is the second biggest social media platform. YouTube offers a place for users to watch videos and upload their own content. It was originally more of a log of videos rather than a social platform, but after its inception in 2005, it continued to evolve into the platform we love today.
This platform was less about connectivity and more about creativity. Many YouTubers rose to prominence by creating and editing their own content. Pop culture icons like Emma Chamberlain garnered massive audiences with their unique editing style. Other people, like the Fine Brothers, gained relevance through their high-production-value reaction videos.
YouTube is still an extremely influential platform, with people like Mr. Beast getting huge followings on the platform and earning other opportunities in the entertainment industry. However, the platform seems to have lost a bit of its personality.
Many big channels today just seem overly produced, which costs A LOT of money. Gone are the days of sitting on the kitchen floor and pressing record on your iPhone. In 2025, it is much harder for new creators to break through, turning YouTube into more of a streaming service than a social media platform.
Nonetheless, the platform is still a huge hit with younger users. I will be the first to admit to turning on Youtube to find a video to watch while I eat.
Twitter: Talk and gossip
In 2006, Twitter was a place where people went to post their millennial quotes or life updates. It was seen as more of a novelty than a useful platform. However, as it grew in popularity, it became THE place for any information.
People would turn to Twitter for their world news and celebrity gossip. It was basically one big afternoon brunch gossip session. It was less about who the information was coming from, and more about the information itself. People would make multiple accounts dedicated to one niche, and gain a large following from it.
Unfortunately, Twitter began to devolve into a place where people would spread false information under anonymous accounts. While Facebook might have been too real, Twitter wasn’t real enough. Without having to put their name behind it, people were willing to say anything.
This has further devolved ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X. Aside from being the worst rebrand in history, the platform has been on a downward spiral in terms of reliability. If you want to find leaked photos of celebrities, Twitter (X) is the place to go. However, if you want anything of substance, this app is not the place.
Instagram: Aesthetics and vibes
While a much younger platform than Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, Instagram has established itself as one of the biggest social media platforms. With a little over 2 billion monthly users, Instagram is the third-most-used social media site.
Instagram was originally a sparse platform, with just the ability to like, comment, and post photos. This made it a hot spot for people to aestheticize their lives. Instagram was the place where people would post only their best photos. It was the place where people could carefully craft the best possible version of themselves. Many influencers have been able to find success with their photos alone. Who needs to be creative when you can be hot?
Instagram has since expanded to include reels and stories, making it one of the more diverse platforms. However, people are still turned off from Instagram because of its perceived “fakeness”. Though it is still a social media staple, people have not fully forgotten about the days of Facetune on the platform.
Snapchat: Embracing realness
Before the days of platforms like BeReal, Snapchat was the platform of authenticity. While not as big as the other platforms, Snapchat has maintained a lot of cultural relevance, especially with Gen Z and younger generations.
The big idea with Snapchat was that users could take a quick snapshot of themselves and send it to their friends. You didn’t have to worry about looking your best because the photos would automatically delete within a couple of seconds. The platform leaned into this concept with strange filters users could put on and send to friends. It was a worry-free space that embraced weirdness.
However, the lack of consequences on the platform is what soured the public’s perception of the app. Parents and guardians couldn’t keep track of what was said and done on the platform, making it the perfect place for kids to make terrible decisions.
This perception of Snapchat has not improved at all. In fact, many people have dropped Snapchat in favor of more “mature” social media applications.
TikTok: Engagement
TikTok is the most recent and notable addition to the social media hall of fame. With over 1.5 billion monthly users, TikTok has taken over, especially with Gen Z. TikTok was originally an app called Musical.ly; this version allowed users to post up to 15-second videos. After it was bought by ByteDance, the platform transformed into TikTok.
Now, the platform allows users to make videos up to 10 minutes long. It has also incorporated a shopping feature, as well as a live feature. The biggest success to come from TikTok was the creation of the “For You” page. This feature is what keeps users engaged, feeding them content that is tailored to their interests, which leads them to scroll for hours.
Like it or not, TikTok has been extremely influential in popular culture. TikTok stars like Addison Rae have gone on to become actual celebrities in mainstream media. The platform can hold people’s attention like never before.
The main issue with TikTok, like Snapchat, is the platform’s public perception. Many people have negative feelings toward the app because of its addictive nature and the negativity in the comments. These two factors lead many people to opt out of the app entirely.
What a new platform needs
The next big social media platform has some pretty big shoes to fill. It has to connect, engage, and entertain audiences while maintaining a safe space for users. Many people think the solution might be single-use apps like BeReal, but these apps have proven to be more of a novelty than a social staple.
The social media solution must be an all-encompassing app where users can find everything they want in one place. This new platform must also maintain positive public sentiment by creating a secure place for users to post without fear of harassment. Balancing all of this can prove to be extremely difficult.
The solution
My solution is an app with a photo, video, and movie section. The photo section would be similar to Instagram, while the video section would be similar to TikTok. The movie section would be for any videos over 5 minutes. Each of these tabs would operate similarly to TikTok’s “For You” page, delivering people content that suits their personal interests. This would allow users to flip between the types of content they wish to consume, leaving them in the driver’s seat.
Additionally, the app would allow users to have two types of profiles–a creator and a viewer profile–both on the same account. Users would be able to quickly switch between the two whenever they want. The creator profile would require users to go by their verified identity, while the viewer profile would remain anonymous.
The creator profile would allow users to post and comment on anything they wish. On the other hand, the viewer profile would have restrictions on posting and commenting, leaving only a like and save option. This way, users who wish to interact with content can do so, but will have their name attached to it. On the other hand, more passive users can scroll and view content anonymously.
Hopefully, this layout would allow for maximum entertainment and engagement, while also maintaining user safety. To all of the app developers out there, feel free to get this idea underway. I’ll be waiting for my check in the mail!
