Are We Entering the Post-Social Media Era?

[Jovialis]

I can see AI increasingly replacing many of the use-cases people currently rely on social media for: sounding out ideas, getting feedback, researching, venting, organizing thoughts, or exploring perspectives without the noise of a public feed.

That does not mean AI will fully replace social media. People still need real communities, public conversation, shared culture, and human connection.

But I do think large, algorithmically driven platforms may start losing some of their grip, especially if users find AI interactions more useful and less psychologically draining. That could also create space for a revival of smaller niche websites and communities that are less saturated with unmanaged, negative, or performative traffic.

I think this will make people use the internet less for social media, but more meaningfully when they do.

Relevant study: “Shifting from social media to AI Chatbots: Saying goodbye to digital mental harms?”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S3051064325000111

 

[davef]

Yes there are certain things people would rather have a human listener for like announcing emotionally intense events like weddings. Hopefully you wouldn’t share wedding pictures with chatgpt before X bc the former would be cringe.
If there’s one thing they’d put chatgpt higher on the pedestal for than social media it’s questions and advice…bc they know there’s something in most cases smarter and more knowledgeable and READILY AVAILABLE than a human on Facebook who has their own schedule and priorities and can’t instantaneously respond. AI gains even more points when your social media buddies include “thugmoneyz9mmballindis” who you know is too dumb or nonchalant to give any advice whatsoever.
Theres certainly a lot of questions most would find too embarrassing to ask on social media. You wouldn’t ask on X or Facebook how to make your rotten green bean smelling farts stink less. But since AI isn’t built to judge, you’d ask it anything knowing you won’t get any social finger pointing.