[munk-a]

You are correct that your data isn't particularly impactful for these platforms - but you're also overestimating the value that many of these services have. A fair few of them have competitors with better features and privacy offerings so the only reason you need them is purely for the network effect of everyone else using them.

[wwweston]

And increasingly, everyone isn’t using them, even if they’re on them.

I’m on Insta and WhatsApp and I use them a few times per year. I’m on Messenger and have seen a dramatic dropoff in messages. I’m on FB frequently and notice only a small fraction of my friends bother anymore and it’s become an interest platform to make up the lack, so I’m trending toward less time there. I’m on Twitter/X but check in maybe once a month.

I may not be a typical user, but I’m probably not unique either.

[Damogran6]

Add to that, FB is no longer people...it's viewing entertainment...and I turn it off a bunch.

Threads is the new time sink and a lot of times I open it and close it shortly thereafter because it's all the same...someone with a 20 part diatribe, someone repeating the news, someone telling you to be outraged, engagement bait.

[csomar]

They have plateaued on number of users/engagement. They are instead increasing ad impressions and jacking up the prices of ads. (source: https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-deta...)

Revenue is up 33% year over year. Not sure how that is sustainable.

[baq]

I visit my facebook once a year and always regret it

[munk-a]

At this point I purely use it to log in on my birthday to pass pleasantries with relatives that don't use any other platform and then turn it off again for a year.

[stephenhuey]

I was one of the earliest on FB. It's mostly an address book for me now. I'm sad sooooo many acquaintances and relatives are there, and yes, it would be a lot of effort to get their contact info or get them to use other messaging platform (but I've started doing that).

For 15+ years, I've thought long and hard countless times about what could sustainably replace social media platforms that do not serve us well. I know a paid app is not super likely to succeed, although WhatsApp did use to cost a dollar! It seems like a nonprofit wouldn't be that great, and so I wonder about a mission-driven public benefit corporation (not to be confused with a B corp, though it could be one of those too). Of course it has to be cool or no one would use it. Not a fuddy duddy wannabe social network. Anyway, to sustain itself, would ads or paid offerings (that don't harvest personal data) be successful?

Happy to discuss with anyone interested!

[ghaff]

I'm very much like you. There are several apps that I use to communicate with a handful (or less) of people in the world. I see people on travel sites saying "Just use WhatsApp" and I'm more or less, yes it's installed on my phone and I use it with a couple people but it's certainly not something that most people I know use.

Probably something of a demographic (geography/age) thing.

[svachalek]

WhatsApp is very much a geography thing; it's pretty ubiquitous in many countries but relatively unknown in the US.

[ghaff]

I think that's probably true although I've had even US people argue with me that "everyone they know" uses WhatsApp. I do think it's the case that SMS became basically free in the US sooner than other places and therefore it became the default in the US whatever encryption or other details.

[ethagnawl]

No, I don't think you're unique at all. I think this all tracks and applies to more and more of the general population.

These mainstream services no longer provide what people signed up for: life updates, pictures of kids and dogs, etc. These value-add posts are becoming less frequent because of/and are being replaced by streams of posts from people _you should follow_ or content they're pretty sure will rile you up about ... whatever. Generally, the people who are still active and whose posts slip through (because it's their only outlet) are effectively monkeys slinging shit (e.g. uncles posting AI slop memes about Barack Obama's suits).

It seems like younger generations have moved on to more silo'd experiences. I don't use TikTok but it's my understanding that it's more about connecting with people who share common interests (more akin to HN or Reddit) and not as much about connecting with your high school Spanish teacher who has gone full MAGA and whose posts you don't care to see and/or who you don't want seeing your posts and trolling you in the comments. This same cohort also seems to be spending much more time in private group chats and, for the most part, the platform doesn't seem to matter; it's just a message broker.

[tokioyoyo]

Well, kinda yes, but not really.

Concept of SNS changed from “audience of my friends and acquaintances” to “audience of potentially anyone in the world” around 2017ish, when every feed became algo-feed. And users like it, because it is akin to “endless Reddit scrolling”, but more tailored to things you might find interesting. And posters like it too, because of potential reach and attention.

Instagram Reels has 2B+ monthly users. Even if we say 50% are bots, not active and etc., that’s still roughly 1B users. It really tracks if you stand up on a busy subway train, almost in any city, and just look around. You’ll see full screens of TikTok, IG, YouTube shorts. The younger generation’s “private group chats” aren’t some sort of replacement to endless scrolling. A good chunk of messages are links to posts in one of those platforms.

[harel]

If there is a substitute and I am not time constrained 100% i'm switching. But I've been in a situation already where a platform I'm using required me to face-up. I can't even remember which to be honest but I had no alternative or recourse to refuse. In addition, in the UK company directors are legaly required to face-up to Companies House and confirm their identity, so they have my face too. Ah, and so is every single CCTV camera around London. I don't know how to fight this particular battle.

[soperj]

Move from London, you have all of Europe to... nevermind.

[harel]

Your pessimism is warranted. But there are places that are more welcoming still.

[throw1234567891]

The competitors will be also regulated. It’s a slippery slope.

[cortesoft]

Just because the network effect is why you need them doesn’t make that need go away.

[rockskon]

It represents an increase in cost to use the service. Most such services have a wealth of competitors for your time and attention.

"Need" is an extremely strong word that is not appropriate for many Internet services where facial recognition is being pushed for.

[munk-a]

I don't disagree. I still use facebook once a year for contact with relatives but if the only thing keeping you is the network effect then hopefully people will migrate off - maybe you can help them do so!