Millennials
are
beginning to understand that the social networks they once frequented and helped consolidate have become consumer circuits, refuges from hatred and frivolity.
Lacking a space to discuss ideas, maintain contact with friends and share their stories,
they begin to exile themselves
from these glass walls.
A study by the research company GlobalWebIndex (GWI) revealed that
millennials
(those born between 1981 and 1993) and a part of
Gen Z
(1994-2010), for the first time, are
turning their backs
on these social platforms.
The firm, which interviewed almost one million users between 16 and 64 years old in 47 countries, indicates that millennials adopted these networks to connect with their peers, but also listen to influential people, get informed and participate.
A practice that is marginal today
.
Human relationships were replaced by
performance metrics
such as influencer marketing,
engagement
, conversion rates and ROI.
In the
dictatorship of the algorithm
, what
is not viral is of no use
.
The first digital settlers
Young people, disenchanted with the direction of the networks.
For the inhabitants of the first generation of social networks, the impression produced by this second foundation is a mixture of
indifference, nostalgia and frustration
.
The feeling that many perceive is the end of the party.
Millennials, as indicated in a
Wired
editorial , grew up in the shadow of Blogger, Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook.
There
they established their communities, imposed creativity and respect as the norm
.
These sites played a key role in shaping their social environments and career trajectories.
Those first networks, which today seem like a utopia, have ceased to exist.
The social component was replaced by
entertainment channels
where domestic fights or fatal accidents are presented as an occurrence.
They are victims of cultural deterioration driven by Meta (Instagram), ByteDance (TikTok) and X (Twitter).
Faced with this new approach to reality, Twitter lost its way and Instagram is full of influencers who praise facial treatments and give advice on nutrition.
TikTok, which seemed like an alternative to YouTube, is increasingly resembling a discount store, where all the merchandise has the same color.
While those users who kept their network coverage on Facebook are realizing that it is still an alternative to previous platforms.
Along with YouTube, it is one of the few social networks where the
original codes
are preserved .
“On Instagram I follow all my friends, but in the feed, their posts never appear.
At least on Facebook the priority continues to be contacts and I can be aware of what is happening to people that I haven't seen in a long time but that I love," says Sebastián Danna, 35 years old, merchant.
Wheel of fortune
Millennials gave the impetus to current social networks.
As if it were a passageway of opportunities, these digital refuges were filled with
commercial labels
, based on data supervised by artificial intelligence.
Thus, benefits began to be prioritized over the
user experience
and the genuine connection was neutralized.
After the new adjustments, the main objective of the developers of these structures is not to offer a good service but to keep the advertising wheel in motion, earning money through subscriptions, purchases or products based on consumer behavior.
To keep up appearances, they make superficial changes to their rosters, something they promote as a leap into a future that never comes.
Everything to
keep your attention high
.
A good that is disputed by dozens of similar applications.
This new social economy is based on the
talent of influencers
.
These serial “recommenders” are chosen for their empathy and wholesome image.
But also, due to their number of followers, since they are intended to be a broad spectrum diffuser.
In many countries they are questioned for their
lack of ethics
.
Since they do not disclose whether they receive compensation for their comprehensive advice.
The fine line between honest opinion and covert advertising is too blurry.
“At first, because of their charisma and the confidence with which they spoke to me, I trusted that what they were showing me was true.
Until I realized it was a trap.
If you clicked on the product I was reviewing, it took you to a page to purchase it.
Since then, I never trusted his preaching again,” says Gladys Nella, teacher, 38 years old.
New horizons arrive
Millennials were always clear about the risks involved in sharing too much personal information on social networks, both for security reasons and for their reputation.
The first indication of what was coming was to be more selective with who they interacted with and also to avoid the ostentation and superficiality that characterize many online activities.
For this reason, they began to communicate through
more private channels
, such as email, telephone or messaging applications, which, in most surveys, is already considered the social network that tops all the lists.
The most popular social networks in Argentina in 2023, according to Statista, are WhatsApp (93%), YouTube (91%), Instagram (86%) and Facebook (85%).
The growth of TikTok is also highlighted, which reached 16.22 million adult users, with an increase of 43.1% year-on-year.
“I have less and less presence on the networks.
Although I visit Instagram and X from time to time, I spend less time on it.
I stopped worrying about who follows me, I started limiting my comments and who reads what I post.
With my friends we chat almost daily on WhatsApp, we send each other memes and that's how we have fun,” explains Germán Landoni, 34 years old, veterinarian.
An expansion that never stops
More and more children are joining social networks.
Photo: Shutterstock.
In the last year, according to data from the Hootsuite agency, social networks expanded by 3% to reach
4.76 billion
users, which represents 59.4% of the world's population.
Judging by the Hootsuite report, if networks are growing it is, above all, because generational change has accelerated.
New users are getting into this form of interaction at
increasingly younger ages
.
In some cases, even before leaving puberty behind.
Generation Z has already displaced millennials in the role of driving innovation.
They do not conceive of life without connection
and do not feel nostalgia for the pioneering platforms that made them discover a new world.
As a PetaPixel study points out, they are very
susceptible to deception
.
If a social network makes unconvincing changes, they abandon it without any remorse and never visit it again.
“The toxic hierarchies created by decades of public like counts, as well as the culture of clickbait, have left Gen Z disenchanted with platforms like Instagram and Facebook,” the firm notes.
They already deserted Facebook, got bored of X, tried podcasts and have Instagram, but no one uploads photos.
They also came to Telegram and are looking for ways to surprise themselves on Linkedin.
While they wait for a new platform,
TikTok, Pinterest and Spotify
are their most precious gifts.
SL