It might seem a ridiculous suggestion that a website that has over 2 billion users is on the decline. Some analysts believe that social media has witnessed a golden age, and the next decade will see the number of people who use these types of websites and apps slowly decline. It must be pointed out that the analysts who believe Instagram and other social media websites have experienced their golden age are in the minority. Still, it’s an interesting question that is worth exploring.
The Digital Age
Social media has been one of the biggest success stories accompanying the smartphone rush of the early 21st century. Despite the incredible, pioneering technology that was brought to the world en masse by Apple and other innovative tech organizations, there still needed to be companies that made people want to spend so much time on the internet and their mobile phones, and Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp all rank high as some of the most used mobile phone apps on the planet.
The issue that some business analysts face is that they observe social media as a fad or a website, sometimes both. While there’s no denying it falls into both categories, social media is such a massive hit because it is a method of communication. It is a way for people to send messages, post pictures, and keep people posted on what’s going on in their lives. To say Instagram or social media has “peaked” is like saying the idea of a camera or telephone conversation will evaporate; it’s a misconstrued view on a global communicative platform.
How Instagram Stays Ahead – Identifying Trends
Alongside prominent social media organizations like Twitch, Instagram provides a platform for new media to flourish. Instagram reels, stories, and adding music to your story are all recent additions over the last few years, met with widespread praise from existing users. Allowing vloggers and influencers to connect directly with their fans drives more activity and usage on Instagram – which is the end goal.
Vloggers use a host of niche topics to keep people entertained, whether they stream video games or casino games, which is an activity that superstar rapper Drake has recently captured many headlines with, consistently placing large bets on sports games and online casino games like roulette. Although live roulette streaming isn’t a particularly large market on Instagram, dozens of online casino game sites specialize in delivering table-based games to a wider audience. However, Drake has tens of millions of followers, and millions tune in to watch his gambling live streams, so there is clearly a market that Instagram can tap into by hosting this activity and live streams of casino bets on their platform.
Staying Ahead With Video Gaming
Although Twitch has a better design to help connect eSports tournaments and fans, there has been a noticeable improvement in how Instagram connects fans of professional video gaming, and it is considered one of the integral platforms for keeping gaming fans updated on the latest news.
Professional video gaming has gained legitimacy as a bonafide and highly revered form of new media entertainment. Dota 2, League Of Legends, and Counter-Strike 2 are some of the most prominent names in the business, and some tournaments sell out stadiums. It’s attracting optimistic teams from all over the world, and with tens of millions of dollars at stake in some of the most prestigious tournaments, there’s a lot of new interest entering the space every year.
The audience numbers are equally impressive, with millions of people watching online. Facilitating this audience and providing a platform for the communities to connect are two of the most impactful ways Instagram plans to stay ahead of the competition.
What Do The Stats Say?
If you’re under the impression that Instagram might decline, we’d urge you to look at some of the data. Instagram has continually grown year on year since 2010 when it first launched, and this trend continued when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg executed a billion-dollar takeover over a decade ago. By buying up the competition, he solidified the presence of Meta as the monolith of social media, and Instagram benefits from being part of this highly successful and vast internet presence.
The only real contender to Meta’s social media presence comes from TikTok, and given that they’re currently not making any friends in the United States government, they have a lot more to worry about than the presence of Zuckerberg. Another site he may have been concerned about is the newly revamped X (formerly Twitter), which Elon Musk owns.
However, the South African entrepreneur seems more interested in having a physical showdown with the Meta CEO in the Rome Colosseum instead of closing the considerable gap in user numbers between the two organizations.
Conclusion
Instagram has far from peaked; it remains the number one social media app globally. TikTok has closed some serious ground, but the colossal company specializes in viral, short videos. On the other hand, Instagram is essentially a digitized photobook with a more varied set of components and works better as a port of contact and a way to connect with friends and family.
Almost all business analysts and economists believe that Instagram will continue to play a pivotal role in how people communicate and consume their news and media. With more users than the populations of China, the United States, and Indonesia combined, and over 70% of those users under the age of 35, it’ll be a long time before we see the peak or subsequent decline of the social media giant, but all Empires do crumble eventually.
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