With new online platforms and services being launched every year,
it's only a matter of time before we see the appearance of a new kind of
social network that caters to the needs and demands of the next
generation. Existing platforms carry a number of flaws that will be
addressed by competitors who are willing to go the extra mile for their
user bases. With that said, here are four features that new social
networking sites should implement to have a decent chance of securing a
fair share of the market.
Will the Current Social Media Giants Reign Forever?
There was a time when MySpace was the undisputed leader in the social networking space. Back then, the idea that another site would somehow replace MySpace completely was unfathomable, yet Facebook did just that. Thus, it's not unreasonable to assume that eventually there might be another social networking platform that takes the world by storm and becomes the new norm through the implementation of some of the aforementioned feature types.
1. Enhanced Privacy
If there's anything to be learned from this current generation of social networking sites, it's that user privacy is going to be one of the most pressing concerns for the average consumer. New social networking platforms like Emenator aim to alleviate this concern by promising to never share or sell their users' data with third-parties. As well as protecting your privacy, an added bonus with using Emenator is that you won’t get bombarded with ads from sites you’ve visited (or any for that matter!). This is a promise that major players like Facebook and Twitter have not made nor kept. With cybersecurity becoming an increasingly important topic in today's world, future social networks will need to respect user privacy more than ever before2. New Ways to Interact and Share
In the future, social sharing will be directly integrated into every aspect of our daily lives through the ubiquitous presence of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. You'll be able to collect and share information about anything just by pointing your smartphone at it or looking at it while wearing a pair of AR goggles. Such widespread real-world integration will make social networking a more interactive and seamless process that will be directly built into the modern lifestyle instead of being merely a digital activity that you can only do in front of your phone or computer3. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Related Features
The advent of virtual reality and augmented reality will undoubtedly result in the development of some very interesting features on social networking sites. Imagine being able to put on a pair of AR goggles and see your friend standing in the same room with you. Such updated versions of video chat and remote interaction will make social networking platforms an even more commonly used form of communication than they already are, as users will go from having video chats to virtual visits4. Something New and Unexpected
Finally, there's a good chance that the most exciting social features of the future haven't even been conceptualized yet. It will be these unforeseen innovations that really make way for the “next big thing” in social media. You will know it when it hits because it will, like all innovations thus far, go viral literally overnight!Will the Current Social Media Giants Reign Forever?
There was a time when MySpace was the undisputed leader in the social networking space. Back then, the idea that another site would somehow replace MySpace completely was unfathomable, yet Facebook did just that. Thus, it's not unreasonable to assume that eventually there might be another social networking platform that takes the world by storm and becomes the new norm through the implementation of some of the aforementioned feature types.