Where Does Social Media Go From Here?

By Brittany Siminitz | January 13, 2025

For not the first time, Meta has made waves with its user base.

After Meta announced it will end third-party fact-checking across its apps, searches for how to delete Facebook skyrocketed, hitting a maximum score of 100 on Google Trends—the highest level of interest possible. Related searches, about deleting Instagram and Threads or canceling accounts on any of these Meta platforms, as well as searches for alternative social media, also rose significantly.

I don’t worry that this is the end of our time with Meta. Even the most passionate voices against the social giant’s fact-checking rollback will most likely blast their thoughts on Facebook or Instagram (or Threads). That’s where our friends are, that’s where our audiences are. We may just be stuck in a trap of our own making.

As an alternative to the Meta apps, Pinterest, with its inspiring vibes, colorful and creative photos, and ease of use, seems the best option. But it doesn’t necessarily offer the things we love most about Instagram, such as profile squares, Stories, and alerting our friends and followers to good causes. (Hey, Pinterest, now’s the time to start adding some new features!)

Like Meta, TikTok is controversial—and it’s potentially on the chopping block. TikTok’s e-commerce capabilities are second to none for small businesses, though.

As for the rest—such as YouTube, LinkedIn, X, and Tencent (note to Google: “What is Tencent?”)—to keep it short, let’s just say they don’t stand a chance of replacing Meta.

Being an early adopter of new social media used to be beneficial: You got in there quickly, poked around, established your ground, and earned tons of followers for being familiar with the app’s workings. Now the market is too full; the giants have already established their strongholds. We feel we can’t leave apps like Instagram because of what we’ve built there—community, customers, reputations, maybe even a gig that earns income. For some small businesses, a steady presence on social media might be the difference between paying this month’s bills and not.

And almost every time a promising new app has broken into the market, it’s ultimately fizzled, leaving us skeptical of any newcomers. So users who are upset by or disagree with Meta’s latest moves might still be willing to turn the other cheek. Social media has become so integrated in our everyday lives, it can feel more like a need than a want. Individuals certainly don’t need Instagram, but they feel like they do.

So where do we go from here? I, for one, have always been a strong proponent of Pinterest, yet I know it’s just not gonna cut it as a replacement for what many have built across Meta’s gargantuan platforms. We need a hero, and not all heroes wear capes. They’re probably wearing something incredibly comfortable, hammering away at a computer while the next great social media platform is in the making (until Meta purchases it).

(photo via Getty Images)