Love it or hate it, social media has changed the way we communicate, browse, and spend our free time. Now, social media’s 3.78 billion consumers spend as long as two and a half hours a day on this pursuit. Everything from careers to relationships has launched across these platforms, and, for those who have benefited, social media has been a life-changing force for good.
But, there is a darker side to social media, especially with regard to our creative outputs. This is unfortunate when you consider that platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram all set out to promote creators. Unfortunately, restrictive algorithms, social media politics, and a step towards what sells have largely overshadowed this creative focus.
All of this creates the social media vacuum that has given these originally creativity-based platforms their bad name. Luckily, as the arrival of TikTok into the mainstream proves, things are changing as social media moguls realize how much we all value creators who are given their chance to shine. Here, we’re going to consider a few ways that even top-hitting platforms like Facebook can help boost creativity, and reduce the time you waste scrolling.
# 1 – A step away from algorithms
Algorithms have largely replaced human-curated, championed creative content in place of content that sells. It’s this move towards automated trending that saw YouTube in hot water for questionable trending content like Logan Paul’s infamous suicide video. Instagram’s algorithm has also come under fire this past year for not just championing successful content but also hiding certain posts.
Luckily, predictions suggest a step back towards human-curated content that highlights original and creative posts. YouTube is driving this force with its kid’s ‘collections’ tab, while TikTok is also looking into a curated ‘highlights stream’. By following these updates, and making sure to tailor content to suit them, creators can put themselves back on top at long last.
While social media has done a lot of bad for creativity, one creative focus hasn’t changed an inch, and that’s the power to share across platforms. From blogging through to selling independently, it’s possible to share new articles or items for sale with one click of a button, ensuring a wider reach than ever before.
Admittedly, a strange move by Instagram to prevent the sharing of stories has come as a major blow to many artists, but on every other platform, making use of the share button whenever you post is the best way to tap into social media’s ongoing creative force.
# 3 – The ‘explore’ page
Even when algorithms are at play, explore pages also play their part in the creativity stakes. This isn’t necessarily because these pages promote the most original content (they don’t) but because championed content based on browsing history can create an amazing source of inspiration, kick-starting creativity that fuels more content which, if featured on other people’s discovery pages, can instigate a life cycle of originality.
By making use of this feature and jumping into that mix, creators can finally ensure that time spent scrolling is never time wasted.
Social media isn’t within setbacks but, for creators, it can still give voice to originality. Just make sure you’re using it to its full potential!
Social media has come a long way since its inception in 1997. Furthermore, the value of social media has been demonstrated time and time again, demonstrating that this medium cannot be overlooked. Because of the ever-changing nature of technology, social media is one of the most rapidly developing, improving, and impactful mass communication tools.
Given the dramatic changes that social media has undergone in the last decade, predicting its future is extremely challenging. However, it is safe to assume that social media will be there for a long time, possibly until the end of the human race.
Awesome information. I am very thankful for your blog. It’s very helpful for me.