The short version

Alex Kantrowitz predicted on December 23, 2024: “Social Media Starts to Feel Less Relevant Over the past few years, social networks have done two big things: 1) Divided their audiences up among more players, and 2) Moved away from news. Apps you once used to find out what was going on in your community, country and around the world started…

Prediction by

Alex Kantrowitz

On December 23, 2024

“Social Media Starts to Feel Less Relevant Over the past few years, social networks have done two big things: 1) Divided their audiences up among more players, and 2) Moved away from news. Apps you once used to find out what was going on in your community, country and around the world started to ignore your follow signal and began showing you what they thought you’d spend time with. Out went the local reporter, in came the Costco guys. These social networks are sacrificing urgency for engagement, and there’s a hidden cost to that. There will be some exceptions, but the “'global town squares' of ol'” will start feel less relevant to important, global events.”

Follow-up

Fragmentation and deprioritization of news continued on major social platforms, with algorithmic feeds emphasizing entertainment over news. Information habits for global events became multi-platform, diluting the centrality of traditional 'town squares.'

From the High Caliber AI network — see the AI for PR module in the course.