I initially didn't understand the point of stories in apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat. I never really used any app with such a feature. Three years ago, my messaging application of choice Signal added a stories feature and their implementation makes me think that an instant messaging app like Signal could actually fill the exact use-cases that social media like Facebook are trying (and failing) to fill.
I use Signal the way I want Social Media to be… I share things with specific people who I think will appreciate what I’m sharing, and if I ever want to share something with everyone I chat with on Signal, then I will use Stories. I almost never use Stories because I rarely ever want to share something with everyone, however a few weeks ago I saw that someone I used to work with had posted a Story. He was breaking ground on building his new house. He has spent the past decade living extremely frugally at a campground, saving all of his money toward the goal of building a house, and now he’s begun building. It was EXACTLY the type of thing that I think we could all agree is what Social Media should be for, and since he isn’t on facebook or instagram, he used Signal.
@Bob_Robertson_IX @scytale @tchambers
I think we need different terms for the different ways people want to use these services.
Some want to reach the world (old school twitter etc) while others just want to reach friends/family (Facebook etc). I guess others want something more like a messaging service. IDK