Remember MySpace? Now that I think about it, I imagine that it’s pretty easy to remember it, considering the social network still exists, but it’s obviously not nearly as all-encompassing as it used to be. MySpace used to be the go-to social network, but, as we all know now, it’s been overrun by strong competition.
Facebook would stand out in this regard. The social network that was only available to a select few when it first started, which probably helped make it even more desirable for the people who couldn’t get access to it, is now everywhere and connected to just about everything.
Facebook is huge and a ridiculous number of people use it. I’m not immune to its reaches, either, even if I try to go out of my way to not use it as often as I have in the past. I actively try to regulate my time on the network, and typically only ever use it when it means I’m publishing status updates regarding family, or talking about movies with friends.
I can’t last all that long when it comes to reading through the Timeline, though. There are too many ads, sponsored posts, and stuff I’ve already seen from hours, or even days, before. It’s not really a mess, but it doesn’t feel altogether cohesive, either.
Especially not compared to Twitter.
That’s a social-network-turned-news platform, which allows a ton of people to get real-time information about a variety of topics, some of which are trending and fueled by hashtags. Like Facebook, there’s no doubt in my mind everyone knows what Twitter is, how to use it, and probably spends an inordinate amount of time on it.
I know I do. I find myself sifting through the news feed constantly, checking up on what’s going on right now, but also seeing what individuals and brands are talking about. Unfortunately I’ve started to try and spend more time away from it, because when I dig into conversations, I see a lot of anger and verbal attacks and threats.
It’s an unfortunate byproduct of an ever-expanding echo chamber, bolstered by quick-and-easy anonymity.
But there are other networks out there, right? Like Instagram, for instance. And there are even more ways to keep as social as possible, like Snapchat, and messaging apps that put a huge focus on group conversations. It’s easier than ever before to be as social as possible with apps, and there are a lot of choices out there.
So I’m curious to know which one, or ones, you spend the most time on and why. Do you spend a lot of time on Facebook, or Twitter, or both? Which one do you prefer and why? Which social network do you dislike the most? Let me know!