Is social media phasing out?

I read an article this week on Business Insider, where venture capitalist, Fred Wilson claimed that social media isn’t just fizzling out, but it’s already dead. He said it died in 2014, due to it’s lack of newness. “We still use them,” Wilson said, “but there isn’t much innovation here anymore.”

Now, this was interesting to me. I’ve always thought that social media sites were popping up out of nowhere very quickly. Not only that, but they all seemed to have something about them that was significantly different than the other.

According to Wilson, social media apps fizzled out and were replaced by messaging apps. These are apps specifically used to send messages to one another. It doesn’t involve comments or sharing or posting. It’s all specific communication between users. WhatsApp is a good example Wilson provided, saying that it completely replaced Facebook messaging.

Wilson even considers Snapchat a messaging app and not a social media app. He even claims that it replaced Instagram. This is a very interesting point he makes because Snapchat, to most, is considered social media. Not only that, but Instagram is still very popular in most social realms.

I both agree and disagree with Wilson. I disagree that messaging apps are any different social media apps. They’re the same thing. Social media platforms, as defined by the dictionary, are “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” Don’t both Facebook and Snapchat both accomplish those things? Yes. And because I don’t agree that messaging apps are any different than social media apps, I don’t believe that social media is completely dead yet.

I do agree with Wilson, however, that social media is fizzling out. I don’t necessarily think that it will completely go away, but it will definitely fade into the background a little bit. Just like every other technology phase, I think social media will have it’s glory days for awhile, and then be something that no one’s really thinks much about anymore.

The telephone, for instance — it was a use deal when it came out, no one ever thought anything could be any cooler, but then the cell phone came out. Now, hardly anyone has a landline. Yes, people still talk on their cellphones the way they would on a landline, but most people would rather text or communicate via social media.

Just like the cellphone, a new technology will come around and social media will not be as big of a deal as it once was. It’s just how things are in our day and age. Things are always and forever will be changing.

To read the full article with Fred Wilson, click here.