DO YOU remember MySpace? Friendster?
I don’t know if anyone still uses those websites in 2021, but they were the Facebook and Twitter of their day. Now, we barely remember them.
We may be entering a new era, where Facebook and Twitter may follow the same path as MySpace and Friendster: The websites will remain but they will be a shadow of their former glory.
A combination of censorship, privacy issues and new technology has led to the creation of new websites that are not subject to central control. Locals is one such site. From what I can tell, the site does not have a central admin, and allows its content creators to interact directly with their supporters with little moderation.
Another site app is Telegram, which functions similarly to Twitter but is, I am told, decentralized and free from censorship.
I don’t know if these sites will replace the big brands that we all know but one thing is for sure, Twitter, Facebook and even Google/YouTube are outdated. They became popular during a certain time in the internet, driven by the newest trends and technologies at the time.
Now, as we enter the age of 5G, blockchains, cryptocurrencies and AI (artificial intelligence), we can expect new websites to replace those that emerged in the 2010s and late 2000s.
These new platforms will alter the way we send and receive information, manage payments and participate in online groups. It will also present somewhat of a headache to governments and centralized institutions because decentralized platforms can lead to issues concerning online safety, cybercrime and non-state actors operating on the internet.
Personally, I consider the rise of new social media platforms to be a good thing. The internet was always meant to be the wild west of communication, free from central nodes of control like newspapers or television.
So, as far as I’m concerned, embracing the latest iteration of social media is in keeping with the essence of internet freedom./PN
