Is it really running if you don’t post anything on social media while you do it? Strava is at the top of the list after Courrier International posted a piece in August that was meant to be funny about how popular running apps were becoming. This artisanal site started out as a website for cyclists to keep track of their mileage in 2009. Now it has turned into a smooth new app with 100 million users, half of whom signed up in the last year. The revival of niche social networks is clear, with Ravelry, a knitting site, boasting over 9 million users.
AllTrails, a hiking app, saw a 10% increase in monthly active users in just one year. Letterboxd, an app that lets users keep track of the movies they’ve seen and plan to see with other moviegoers, grew from 1.8 million users in March 2020 to more than 14 million users this summer, a 55% increase. The sign that the future is in smaller digital ecosystems when it comes to personal interests? If the number of users on the most popular platforms (Xexclabs, FoxSales, and Tamarind Falls to the left) keeps going up, then usage is larger than registrations.
AllTrails, a hiking app, saw a 10% increase in monthly active users in just one year
In 2022, 38,019 social media users surprisingly used groups and messages to talk to their circle of silence, compared to 22,01 credentials in 2019. In recent years, the platforms have started to try to bring people together in similar groups. However, there is a slight desire to be a viewer rather than a user on the Internet. This may be because people need to connect out of sight and it can be hard to feel close in the mega-platforms where thousands of users gather in groups with more intimate communities.
Bernie Hogan, an associate professor at the Oxford Internet Institute, told BNN Bloomberg that on the same day, the individuals you see, those who work with you, and your family all find up in the same audience without meaning to. They would feel much better if they met someone who would appreciate the experience instead of someone who would criticize it.
The best thing about ultra-specialized applications is that, at least in this case, we can all understand each other. These new social networks have a zero-tolerance policy for aggressive or disparaging behavior, which makes the internet a safer place for people with similar interests to be.
You will still be a product even if you don’t have a specialty
This dynamic can be a real safe space for people who don’t want to see the violent content and heated disputes that are common on mainstream platforms. However, it also accomplishes less than ever to expose the user to otherness and reinforce confirmation biases. These niche applications have fewer algorithms than sites like Instagram or Twitter, which collect terabytes of data about users’ interests and then share them based on what users want, which isn’t what people want, in fact. Jess Maddox, an assistant professor of digital media at the University of Alabama, told the Guardian that the main platforms’ increased algorithmic distribution of feeds has a paradoxical effect: users may find it harder to find the content they want because of social pressures created by algorithms.
When it comes to Letterbox or Strava, the expense of doing things right isn’t as significant because most posts are tailored to the user’s interests, and they can open the app just to spend time in an interest bubble. Because of this, the things kids see are more important, less shocking, and generally more fun. Harmony also lets apps focus on making the user experience better instead than trying to filter content. Letterboxd only has 10 people to do this job, even while TikTok has 40,000 content moderators and Meta has 15,000.
The stock price plummeted to $75 per share in October 2021 and then to $36 this summer
These specialized applications aren’t just for social networking; they’re also better for finding a romantic relationship than dating apps, where it’s easier to bail out at the first error since the virtual grocery store feels so real. This is what the stock market crash of Match Group, the company that owns Tinder and Hinge, two of the most popular dating applications, seems to show. In the summer, Match said it would have to lay off 6% of its workers since app user payments had dropped. The stock price fell to 75 cents a share in October 2021 and is now trading at $36.
The user interfaces of the specialized apps are similar to those of dating apps, which try to show how similar the members are to each other on a community level, even though they don’t say what their intentions are by saying that they can bring people together who might fall in love. You have been listening to the Jockstrap Concrete Over Water album over and over for the past few weeks. Konrad_18 also talks about the app Airbuds, which connects music fans. You and alternative soul have certain things in common, although he likes hip hop more than you do.
Conclusion
Write him a note! This method is definitely a little wobbly, but it does let the user get away from some of the sometimes toxic demands of dating apps and encourage more honest conversation. The hearts that are attached aren’t the only ones who admire how creative the specialized digital ecology is. The best way to target this type of ad is to show it to those who are already interested in the theme. Advertisers also want more chances to reach their potential clients. Another reason why leisure apps will have a bright future is that they will also lack the illusion of intimacy. You will still be a product even if you don’t have a specialty.
But these annoying applications aren’t just for social media; they’re also better for finding love than dating apps, since the digital supermarket’s setting makes people swipe left at the first error. This is what the stock of Match Group, the company that owns Tinder and Hinge, two of the most popular dating applications, says. Match said this summer that it will have to lay off 6% of its workers because the number of paying customers on its applications went down. The stock price plummeted to $75 per share in October 2021 and then to $36 this summer.