Abstract: This article discusses current social media platforms and analyses their trajectory in 50 years’ time. By using forward thinking, the article discusses recommendations for how social media in the future should operate, and the software and hardware that it could use.
Keywords: Social Media, Future, AR, VR, Brain-Computer Interface, People First Approach.
Social media has been quite controversial as it can be seen as a replacement to traditional social interactions. Its intended effects sought to enhance social interactions as the primary goal, however this can be seen as a secondary function in most social media applications in today’s landscape. Addictive digital media and advertisement have become a driving factor in keeping social media applications relevant. This is done to keep users on the platform rather than have the user convert to other similar applications. In order to create an online ecosystem that benefits communication and connection, social media must be developed with this as the primary goal. This could be combatted by creating all-in-one apps. This allows users to meet all their needs within the one app, allowing the application to focus on the apps intentions rather than user conversion and retainment. Also, as technology evolves, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are likely to become widely adopted. While these will presumably work well for a typical user, disabled users may have to opt for brain-computer interfaces such as Neuralink to help with social connections. The digital software and hardware of the future will shadow the technology we have now, just as ours shadows the technology from 50 years ago. With connection put first, it can allow for social interactions we have likely not imagined. While these topics are relatively simple today, the revolutionary impact they could have in the future is what is being discussed as we look at the potential for the use of social media 50 years in the future, and how it can help connect people.
All in one apps provide a single location for a user’s needs. These apps currently offer services such as traditional social media content such as voice and text messages, entertainment with games and video formats, location-based services, the ability to pay bills, send money to a friend, buy train tickets, and much more (Zheng, 2020). When looking 50 years into the future, undoubtably you will be able to do a lot more within these all-in-one apps. These online networks promote social change from apps with single use applications such as PayPal, text, uber eats and many others who serve no purpose until they are needed. All in one apps can promote connection as they allow users to be linked together with apps that would otherwise be unconnected. This creates situations such as allowing users to search a restaurant, find a menu, send it to a friend and make a booking reservation and get a taxi ride there all within the one app. This promotes users to have the app and to use it for their socialising means. Given we cannot currently see the capacity of these applications in the future, we can make logical estimates of their interconnectivity between users and the vast ways you will be able to use them. WeChat is a thriving example of this. It is mainly used within Asian countries such as in China and reaching over a billion users worldwide. The app was designed with specific intentions. They wanted to create a user first application- not a commercial product. The Company heads, while being a publicly traded company have stated that the goal of WeChat is not to make as much money as possible, as seen through almost all other publicly traded entities. This is proven through being a free to download app that only shows a user two ads per day. This is done to keep the company profitable, yet user driven with minimal interference from stakeholders seeking their greater return of investment. Another example of this is the fact they rely on user feedback to grow the platform. This is demonstrated through the “10/100/1000 principle: product managers are expected to do ten end-user interviews, read 100 user blogs, and collect feedback from 1,000 user experiences every month” (Birkinshaw, Liang-Hong Ke, & de Diego, 2019). This also ties into the company not running as a business but as a social platform putting users first. These as well as many others are the fundamental principles when designing a user first, business second online network (Birkinshaw, Liang-Hong Ke, & de Diego, 2019). This changes how online socialisation is done and can loosely be compared to Facebook. WeChat is integrated into everyday life, offering a wide range of services, while Facebook focuses on user retention through addictive design engineering to stop users from going elsewhere (Hinckley, 2023). Each platform caters to different user needs and cultural contexts. Western corporations can be seen attempting to replicate the success. One such corporation is Meta, the owner of many large social media companies such as previously mentioned Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp and Oculus VR. While the company initially started with a single app, Facebook, they have been acquiring companies attempting to grow their online network outreach, now seeing the company own 94 companies under their umbrella (Meta, 2024). As these companies have been acquired, META has been slowly merging them as an attempt to integrate and create a western WeChat. In order to promote online social media connections in 50 years, Meta and any other companies looking to target the western culture must analyse WeChat and understand that WeChat has helped people connect through their use of online social networks by prioritizing user experiences, community engagement, and seamless integration over the best return of investment for shareholders.
As discussed, Meta acquired Oculus VR in 2014 as part of their initiative to transform from a single application use company to an all-in-one app conglomerate of western countries. This acquisition has been a huge push for VR technology, seeing the VR industry go from unheard of with a very small niche userbase, to the top market share headset, the Meta Quest 2, outselling the Xbox in 2022. Sales grew 97% in 2021 & 242% in quarter 1 2022 (Hayton,2022) and the player base has continued to rise, with popularity amongst younger adults and certain businesses. This type of technology allows users to socialise in a more human aspect, seeing them actively move, talk and interact with others in a way never before seen. The removed limitations engage users in lifelike experiences compared to a phone call, or a text or image based social media applications. Studies have been done analysing the effectiveness of VR and its promotion of social interaction. One such study is ‘Easily applicable social virtual reality and social presence in online higher education during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study’, written by Miguel Barreda-Ángeles , Sophie Horneber , Tilo Hartmann. The results described “social VR facilitated feelings of social presence, a more natural and spontaneous way of communicating with peers and teachers, and an increased sense of community in the classroom, compared to the alternative of videoconferencing” when looking at VR usage for remote schooling during Covid lockdown (Barreda-Ángeles et al., 2023). This helps to demonstrate effectiveness of online social relationships through the use of virtual reality. Given Meta is already in the process of linking Oculus to their other applications, it is undoubtably the path VR will take and will go on to be the next technological step in social media use. I have firsthand witnessed this change through working in the VR industry since 2019, and have seen the mainstream adoption happen in real time. As an early adopter of the technology, I have also seen how social media applications are being created for this software. As both me and my mother have the Quest 2 headset, we often ‘catch up’ virtually rather than a phone call or in person visits as we live far away from each other. In 50 years’ time the technology would have continued to grow allowing for more seamless social experiences promoting human online connections and a social change in how we connect virtually. This may be able to bridge the gap between long distance friends and family, and as the AR/VR experiences become more realistic, so will the way users interact with them.
While Virtual reality could be the next evolution in online connections, not everyone is able-bodied as has the ability to use such hardware. This is where brain-computer interfaces such as Neuralink could be normal for those looking to engage in online social interactions. Whilst this isn’t limited to people with disabilities, the technology is currently only for those with disabilities. As of early 2024, The first person received a Neuralink brain-computer implant due to being paralysed from the shoulders down. He has been documenting his journey, featuring clips of his online use as the implant gives him the ability to control technology with his mind. Video has been uploaded of the patient playing chess through manipulating the cursor on his laptop screen solely with his thoughts (ABC, 2024). The end vision for the brain-computer implant is to bridge the gap between human and technology interactions. This technology could allow users to control virtual avatars allowing them a life in a virtual world, whereas in reality they could be in a similar position suffering from paralyse or similar mobility conditions. Similarly, The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has used comparable brain-computer implants to allow a man to some-what walk again as the electronic implants wirelessly transmit his thoughts to his legs and feet via a second implant on his spine showing how technology may be able to empower users even further in the future (Ghosh, 2023). Whilst this is an amazing start, the potential applications technology like this could have in 50 years would be groundbreaking, not just for those who may need assistance, but for any seeking to engage in human-machine symbiosis. The social aspects could see people not needing todays gadgets such as phones or personal computers, but rather able to communicate long distances by thought- perhaps with methods similar to todays voice calls and text functions.
Social media is constantly evolving with the latest and greatest apps appearing and fading away. Communication and connection within these apps must remain the sole goal over profit for shareholders in order to promote true online connections between users. All-in-one apps like WeChat are a great example of what social media apps should strive to be in the next 50 years, as by integrating various services will promote user engagement with other users both online and offline. Meta’s acquisition of Oculus VR has started to path the way for new technologies like VR to promote lifelike social interactions. This puts a human element back into online interactions between people and the machines they use for communication methods. These technologic advancements may go as far as brain-computer interfaces like Neuralink, bridging the gap for users with disabilities, or those seeking human-machine symbiosis. Whilst it is hard to analyse the future in 50 years, the groundwork has seemingly been laid for upcoming software and hardware advancements pushing online human socialisation to the next level. By ensuring a user first business second approach, the future of online socialisation can promote healthy connections and social change.
References
- (2024, March 21). First patient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip implant demonstrates playing online chess with his mind. ABC. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-21/first-neuralink-patient-livestreams-himself-using-brain-chip/103617606
- (2024, March 4). List of Companies Owned by META (Facebook). Geeksforgeeks. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/list-of-companies-owned-by-meta/
- Barreda-Ángeles , M., Horneber, S., & Hartmann, T. (2023, January 30). Easily applicable social virtual reality and social presence in online higher education during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. Sciencedirect. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10171866/
- Birkinshaw, J., Liang-Hong Ke, D., & de Diego, E. (2019, October 29). The Kind of Creative Thinking That Fueled WeChat’s Success. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://hbr.org/2019/10/the-kind-of-creative-thinking-that-fueled-wechats-success
- Ghosh, P. (2023, May 24). Brain implants help paralysed man to walk again. BBC. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65689580
- Hayton, P. (2022, June 8). Oculus Quest 2 sales jump ahead of Xbox Series X and Series S. PCgamesn. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.pcgamesn.com/oculus/quest-2-meta-sales-xbox-series-x-s
- Hinckley, A. (2023, August 1). Wechat vs Facebook: A comprehensive comparison. The Best Place For Tutorials. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.bollyinside.com/versus/wechat-vs-facebook
- Zheng, W. (2020, August 9). What is WeChat and what can it do? CGTN. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-08-09/What-is-WeChat-and-what-can-it-do–SNepY1rgNG/index.html
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