Social media is an integral part of our daily lives. It's a great medium to meet new people, share, entertain yourself, and much more. Most people have at least one of the major platforms on their phone, but the world of social media extends further than the already established apps.
Every year new platforms come out, and though not all of them make it to the top, some do. But what about this year? Are there any platforms to watch out for? Here are some potential candidates.
1. Post.News
Post.News, or Post for short, brands itself as a place for ‘‘Real People. Real News. Civil Conversations.’’ The platform emerged as a Twitter alternative after Elon Musk took over Twitter and started rolling out changes users didn't particularly like.
Post aims to foster a space that doesn't allow hate-filled rhetoric while still ensuring freedom of speech and offering a set of structure and rules. It sounds contradictory, but it must be working since the platform has generated plenty of attention online.
Since Post is in beta testing, signing up requires you to get on a waiting list. Should Post fulfill its goal of creating a safe space for discussions and conversation free of online trolls or hate-hurling professional contrarians, who knows—maybe it will even be a good Twitter alternative.
And, given that the social media platform is moderated by its users, it's up to the users whether that will happen or not.
2. Artifact
Artificial Intelligence has made quite a boom online. As a result, countless AI-led services exist for people to explore, from AI-generated story writing to using AI music generators to create unique songs, to making computer-generated art using AI, and much more. And Artifact has decided to use AI to curate a personalized news feed for you.
If you download the free Artifact app, you get a custom news feed powered by artificial intelligence. You select topics that appeal to you, and Artifact does the rest. The app lets you choose ten or more topics.
Once the social media platform understands your interests, it shows you the most on-point articles found online that relate to them. It's like your personal filter—you only see what counts. You can also share stories with your friends on the app and, through the exchange, maybe discover more topics of interest.
You can also add all the paid subscriptions you keep, and the social media platform promises to prioritize them for you. So if you're an avid Economist or New York Times reader, both will be front and center on your screen.
Download: Artifact for Android | iOS (Free)
3. True
True allows you to share your life online while maintaining privacy. The social media platform is also free.
On True, you choose what to share and with whom. And when you make that choice, only those you've picked see what you share.
It also makes it easier to foster connections with the right people for the right topics without flooding everyone's feeds with content that wouldn't interest them. For example, you can connect with old classmates or foster a community of new dog owners. Looking at a curated feed is the better option, rather than having one flooded with all manner of topics. You can even curate your social media feed to improve your mental wellness.
On the platform, you create a thread, select who can be a part of it, and carry on posting. You can select two people or hundreds—but you do it one by one. And, if you don't want to choose who can be on your private thread, you can just make it public.
Private threads are ad-free, while public ones may show ads based on interests indicated by people when they first download the app. Then, if you decide to leave that thread, whatever you've shared on it, leaves with you. So True is truly a social media platform that boasts private communication between willing participants.
Download: True for Android | iOS (Free)
4. Diem
Diem sees itself as a social search engine. It presents a space where women and non-binary people can gather and exchange stories, resources, and information.
It's a place for strangers to meet, share experiences and life stories, foster a community, and generate resources for current and future users.
Once you download Diem, you can select several topics of interest to explore and join already established interest-based communities; spaces that stray away from clickbait in favor of showcasing real people with real stories and experiences.
The platform allows you to connect with other people online and uplift yourselves through the exchange of knowledge. Diem offers camaraderie, and it's certainly an app to keep track of. What's more, it seems to have also embraced AI, and that's always exciting.
Download: Diem for Android | iOS (Free)
5. Lemon8
Lemon8 is the best space for creatives looking for a content-sharing platform where they can mingle with others who share their hobbies and fascinations.
The platform lets you share, explore, and discover; you can waste hours on it. On Lemon8, you have a Following and For You tab and countless subsections of interests you can browse.
You receive personalized recommendations on your For You feed, all of which will be based on what you've liked previously. And, as is well-established, algorithmic social media feeds are pretty good at keeping your interest.
Looking at Lemon8, you can't help but compare it to TikTok. And that may not be a coincidence given that Lemon8 was created by TikTok's parent company ByteDance.
Lemon8 is perfect for sharing inspirations and ideas and how they came to be after bringing them to life. It's a great place to foster communities of common interests.
Download: Lemon8 for Android | iOS (Free)
6. PearPop
The best way to describe PearPop is as a social media platform that's the best thing for online content creators.
PearPop is where creators go to earn while also making content they enjoy. And virality pays; the more viral your content becomes, the more money you generate off of it.
It's a fairly simple process. To earn through the platform, you create an account on PearPop and link your TikTok (and any other social media accounts you want) to it. You then choose challenges to do that mesh well with your vibe and previous content. After creating content, you submit your entry and start earning from it.
PearPop offers a way to generate income from something you're already doing—creating content for your other social media accounts. And given that it's not easy to find a lot of social media platforms that pay you to create content, why not give it a try?
Download: PearPop for Android | iOS (Free)
New Isn't Always Better
Though the prospect of yet another social media platform to explore can be enticing, you still need to be wary. New may be exciting, but consider if it's worth signing up for that hot new social platform. There can be potential drawbacks for you to take note of.
Privacy concerns always head that list, so be mindful of giving out your information. Also, new platforms may generate excitement but fail to keep it long-term, so don't get too attached. Of course, you can explore what's out there, but keep your wits about you.