Things people say
Three conversations about social media
Sept. 17th is Social Media Managers Day. And I know you probably already have plans to take your social media manager (or yourself) out for lunch to celebrate. But if you’re still looking for gift ideas, may I suggest a gift from the Social Media Tea website. Time off is also a timeless and relatively inexpensive gift. 😉
In today’s newsletter:
Things People Say: Three conversations about social media
Social Snack: Threads expands keyword search
Trending: Thrifted paintings get a Halloween upgrade
Things people say
If you want to know where social media is actually going, then you need to figure out how people feel about the platforms, and where they are spending time online. That is why I’m always asking people about their experiences on social.
In today’s newsletter, I’m highlighting three recent conversations I had about social media. I find these comments really interesting, and suggest that there are still many shifts to come.
Note: All comments are anonymous, and I’m using “they” instead of gender-specific pronouns so as to not identify the people in any way.
1/3 Moving away from X (Twitter)
Talking To: A person who manages online events/creates multi-media with a focus on research-based content
The Conversation: We were talking about how they recommended to organizational leaders that they move away from Twitter’s audio-only feature (Twitter Spaces) and instead move over to podcasts. Why? For one thing, they said the tool was pretty glitchy. But even more importantly, they are moving because a lot of their audience — other researchers — just aren’t on X/Twitter anymore.
Why This Matters: It’s no surprise that the platform has been leaking users since Elon Musk took over. But this comment suggests to me the problem is even worse than I thought. Twitter used to be a gold mine for researchers and journalists. But if they can’t get what they are looking for there, they will move elsewhere for good. And that will not only further deteriorate X’s base, but also mean the conversations will become more one sided.
2/3 “It’s not fun anymore”
Talking To: A Grade 12 student
The Conversation: We were talking about their favourite platforms. They really struggled to pick one, and actually said social media isn’t that fun anymore. They still use Instagram, but only keep a few photos in the grid, and only post pictures that are “perfect.” When I asked what that meant, this person gave examples of a sunset, or a picture of themselves that they really loved. But in general the pressure to post on Instagram was too much, and they actually spend more time posting “real life” photos in the VSCO app.
Why This Matters: It wasn’t that long ago that teens had multiple accounts on Instagram, including hidden ones called “finstas” or fake instas where they could post “real life” content and be themselves. The fact that teens are now moving their “real life” onto a completely different app suggests to me that they now have one foot out of Instagram. Also, when teens start to think social media isn’t that fun, that sets off warning bells for me. Because otherwise, why do it?
3/3 Hard to engage
Talking To: An elected city official
The Conversation: We were talking about abusive comments on social media. They said that things weren’t as bad as they used to be when they posted regularly on X (Twitter). But while they had moved over to posting more on Instagram, they found the engagement lacking. While Instagram was more positive, it didn’t allow them to engage with their audience in the same way.
Why This Matters: It feels like we are still trying to find a replacement for the old days of Twitter, which was still toxic, but also very useful for connecting with others and finding information. Threads continues to add new features such as Search, but I personally don’t really remember to go there. I also don’t hear a lot of people talking about Threads anymore (and that Grade 12 student told me they had it for about a day before deactivating it because they found it “boring.”) The closest replacement I’ve personally found to X/Twitter is TikTok. But that may be just me. Stay tuned, I guess…
🍅 SOCIAL SNACK 🍅
Threads expands keyword search
After initially launching keyword search in Australia and New Zealand, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced that the feature would now roll out to most English and Spanish-speaking countries in the coming days.
I just tried to search “Hurricane Lee” on my Threads app and it seems to be working. It felt very similar to the X/Twitter experience of search, pulling up content from a variety of individual and news accounts.
This could potentially be a game-changer for Threads. But I do see two potential issues:
It doesn’t appear to be chronological, which can be an issue if you’re looking for up-to-date info.
And I personally love the fact that X/Twitter has “Top” and “Latest” tabs on search. I like to toggle back and forth so that I can see trending posts (aka, funny posts) as well as the latest information.
Have you tried keyword search on Threads? What are your thoughts?
ICYMI
Pinterest introduces industry-first body type technology to increase body representation on platform [Pinterest Blog]
Instagram announced it’s testing the ability to tag location in Notes [Adam Mosseri’s broadcast channel]
Facebook’s unloved “News” tab is going away in Europe [The Verge]
X tests new option that would enable creators to gather email contacts from subscribers [Social Media Today]
Feature: Why is Elon Musk lashing out against the Anti-Defamation League? [New York Magazine]
Thrifted paintings get a Halloween upgrade
Halloween content is strong right now over on TikTok. And for the last week, my For You Page has been filled with videos of people buying paintings from thrift stores so they can paint Halloween-type elements into the artwork. Most of the paintings feature scenery or a house, which then get overlaid with ghosts, pumpkins, and even fall leaves.
In this video example, friends get together to create their ghostly masterpieces while watching the movie “Practical Magic” and enjoying a charcuterie board and drinks.
Sounds like a perfect autumn evening to me. Who’s in?! 🎃🍂
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