To Tweet or Not to Tweet...

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More options for social media companies exist for the various types of platforms out there than most of us realize. When I think of social media, popular platforms that come to my mind in 2023 consist of: Facebook; X, the platform formerly known as Twitter (this feels very 90s); YouTube; Instagram; Pinterest; Snapchat; TikTok; Reddit; Discord; Twitch; and Goodreads. However, many users are tired of supporting huge corporations and the ultra wealthy people who own or run those companies. What if we don't want to tweet, anymore? (Wait, is it still called tweeting? The New York Times begged the question - So What Do We Call Twitter Now Anyway?) Ideologies can clash against those of major social media platforms with restrictions on what can be posted or shared, leading to users feeling frustrated and possibly questioning their continued participation of that platform. Platforms might change core components of how they operate or add paid tiers for features that were once free, much to the annoyance of loyal users. What do we do if we want to keep using the same types of social media but rather not stay with the same companies? 

User bases of alternative platforms might be smaller than those of, for example, X or Goodreads, but they still exist. The common alternative to Goodreads that I know about is Storygraph, which I recently joined to use in conjunction with my Goodreads account. Storygraph is owned and operated by a very small team and comes highly rated as an alternative to the Amazon-owned Goodreads. Storygraph is only one example of many alternatives to the most popular social media platforms, though. Why, then, do most of us stick with the most widely known platforms, even when we are not always satisfied? I joined Storygraph for the extra stats that Goodreads does not offer, but my bookish online "friends" and "followers" are all connected to me on Goodreads. Do we stick with the big name platforms out of familiarity, established connections with the online community, or because that's just where our friends and family are? Why do you stick with the most popular social media platforms? Have you tried alternatives or would you if you knew about other options? 

Check out this (short) YouTube video from PCMag: Quitting Twitter? Try These Alternative Social Media Networks

Comments

  1. Natalie StansburySeptember 18, 2023 at 4:44 AM

    I was just sharing on Anna's blog that I use Facebook the most because it seems that is where most of my friends post but also because I have been using it the longest. I share on Facebook not only because I want my friends to see what is going on in my life but also because I want to remember it. I love that I can look back at 15 years ago and see what I was doing or thinking. As I was reading your post I thought about restaurants. Why do people go to the Olive Garden when they can go to the locally owned Lauro's (just an example near me)? Price? Convenience? Variety? Service? Because they know what they can expect? Why Walmart and not our local stores and farm stands? Same deal? Convenience? Variety? (Likely not service!) One-stop shop? Everyone has their reasons I think. While I prefer to shop and eat at small businesses when I can I am guilty of not doing at frequently as I should. And even though, as I mentioned in my blog, I may check out new platforms, I will likely never leave Facebook since that is where it all began and where I can go to relish in the memories while seeing what everyone is up to. (PS - never touched Twitter for some reason)

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    1. Samantha MatherneSeptember 23, 2023 at 3:51 PM

      Personally, when it comes to restaurants, I tend to frequent many of the same ones due to the familiarity. I think social media is similar to that as well as knowing our friends are already there. We have a community built in one place, so why would we want to move? Your thoughts about never leaving Facebook align with why I think many people stay with the same platforms - it's where their people are.

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  2. Ellen DooleySeptember 19, 2023 at 6:11 AM

    The plethora of social media platforms is hard to keep up with, and then there are the demographics that tend to keep people in their lanes. Like Natalie, I’ve never been on Twitter/X. Initially it was because I didn’t have time to do so, but now I would not be excited about it given its background and most people I know are not on there. As Natalie has commented on, there are exceptions to only older generations using Facebook, which seems to be younger people who want to establish a link to a school, study program, or start appearing more professional vs keeping up with their social group; while as Natalie described for her purposes, older uses may stick with the platforms that they started with to stay with their friends and personal archives.
    It is disconcerting that the major social media entities popular with all age groups are backed and influenced by massive amounts of money. It will be interesting to see how the antitrust lawsuits against big tech companies play out. And here we are writing on a Google-owned platform!
    In the meantime, it is good to hear more about Storygraph as an alternative to Goodreads (or, as in your case, to compliment it) and I look forward to checking it out. I’ve liked following Get Lit (https://www.wnyc.org/series/get-lit-bookclub), which is a collaboration between our local WNYC radio & New York Public Library and can be accessed online.

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    1. Samantha MatherneSeptember 23, 2023 at 3:54 PM

      I've never been a Twitterer (Tweeter?) either, but I know it's one of the most popular platforms in recent years. I was hesitant to try Storygraph, and I'm only slowly getting involved with it. Branching out into new a new social media choice has shown me what a mainstream one lacks, though - many data features and usability of choosing editions of books.

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  3. Ellen DooleySeptember 19, 2023 at 6:45 AM


    And to your point about companies changing platform rules, you may have heard that late yesterday, it was announced that Twitter/X will likely begin charging a monthly fee. As one BBC commentator pointed out, there is likely an “oblique strategy” behind what the company is saying is a basic need for funds; it is gathering all that credit card information…

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    1. Samantha MatherneSeptember 23, 2023 at 3:56 PM

      I did see that Twitter is considering charging users. The latest owner seems to continuously isolate and drive away his users... I wonder how well the platform will fare with a monthly fee. Charging for usage stands to block out users who cannot afford a fee, which is only one argument against that tactic.

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