Social media isn’t only a part of our lives; it has become a whole life. From Instagram selfies to trending videos on TikTok and debating politics and war on Twitter, apparently, we are married to it.
We are living a life that has been running on algorithms and big tech for years. But here’s the twist: the world is shifting into a new era.
Welcome to the age of decentralized social media, where power is distributed to the users instead of a corporate server room (which we still doubt).
With Web3 leading the world and growing frustration with centralized control over people, the USA and UK are looking for new digital playgrounds, specifically those that are open, secure, and most importantly, point fair.
What is decentralized social media?
Imagine a social media platform that isn’t in control of a one central authority, not a single company owns your content, or decides your visibility or profits from your move.
That is the core of decentralized social media. Thanks to the blockchain technology, which doesn’t store your data on a single company’s servers like Hello, Met, or X, instead your information is distributed across a network of computers.
Simply put:
- Centralized means one gatekeeper
- Decentralized means you hold the keys.
Why Decentralization? The Backlash Against Big Tech:
You know the feeling. You post something, and it vanishes into the void until the algorithm decides to bless it. Centralized platforms like Facebook and Twitter (sorry, X) hold all the power. They control what you see, how your data’s used, and even who gets to speak. Decentralized social media is built on the idea that no single entity should call the shots.
These platforms run on blockchain or peer-to-peer networks. No corporate overlords. No mysterious content moderation rules. Just users interacting directly like the early days of the internet, but with better tech.
Top 2 Decentralized social media apps
Lens Protocol
Lens, which is based on the Polygon blockchain, is similar to Instagram for Web3 but gives users more control. Your followers, your content, and even your social graph are all your property. Do you want to move your followers to a different app? Yes, you can.
- launched in 2022 by the seasoned Aave team.
- Lens handles that are compatible with the LensVerse ecosystem are minted as NFTs.
- Based on the Polygon network for quick transactions and cheap gas prices.
Mastodon
Mastodon, which is decentralized even though it isn’t blockchain-based, took off when people started to leave Twitter (now X). Since each server is managed independently, no one massive organization makes all of the decisions.
- Open-source system.
- Complete command over your feed.
- A flourishing user base of more than three million.
The Reasons Behind Some Issues with New Social Media Types
New forms of social media are attempting to stand out. There isn’t a single large corporation in charge. Although this sounds awesome, they also have some serious issues.
- They’re Not Often Used Yet
Large apps like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook are still widely used. There are billions of users for these! There aren’t many in the new apps, though.
- Bluesky has 4.1 million daily active users.
- Mastodon has 10 million till 202.
- PeerTube and Pixelfed have even fewer.
It’s not enough, even though it sounds like a lot. Being where their friends are is what most people aspire to. It is likely that you will use Instagram if your friends are still using it.
- They Could Be Difficult to Use
These new apps can be a little challenging at times. They might appear unclear or require additional steps to register. Children and adults who are not tech-savvy may not know how to use them.
However, some apps, such as Bluesky, aim to simplify things by providing basic designs and useful tools for getting started.
- Safety Concerns
Large apps, such as YouTube, have policies and staff to monitor for inappropriate content. However, some of the more recent apps lack a single boss to accomplish that. This implies that negative or hurtful things can occasionally appear more readily.
Some apps are attempting to address this by allowing users to contribute to security.
The Benefits of Decentralized Social Platforms
Here’s what makes decentralized social media exciting (and why it might be the future):
- User-Owned Content:
You admit your pictures, tweets, posts, videos everything. It can’t be removed by a moderator or wrongfully flagged.
- Portability:
Network platforms without misplacing followers or records?
Of course, please. Your content exists on the blockchain, not in someone’s data archive.
- Community-Led Development:
Many platforms are free software and shaped by their customers. You don’t just use the software you help set up.
- Earning Potential:
Creators can legitimize directly through tokens, NFTs, or a tipping mechanism without depending on ads or sponsors.
- Data privacy concerns:
Everyone is tired of being a product. In decentralized spaces, you own your data, unlike traditional platforms where your personal data is collected and sold out.
But What Are the Downsides?
We all know that if something has so many benefits, it mostly comes with side effects, just as that also comes with some disadvantages. Here’s what you should be cautious of:
- Smaller User bases: due to smaller bases, it becomes hard to compete with so many users.
- Moderation Issues: Less centralized control means more risk of harmful or offensive content slipping through.
- Cyberbullying: As decentralized social networks are unmoderated, they include much misinformation regarding politics, criminal activities, etc.
- Learning Curve: it could be difficult for beginners to understand terms like “wallet,” “keys,” and “tokens,” which can feel like a foreign language at first.
- But developers are working hard to resolve these issues. If Web2 platforms were the beta test, Web3 is learning from every mistake.
Final Thoughts:
Are We Ready for a Change?
The shift to decentralized social media is about values as much as technology. Fairness, freedom, privacy, and ownership are at the forefront. But decentralized social media is a social networking platform that is controlled by a network of users.
Overall, we don’t need to back off from all social media platforms at once; the environment is undoubtedly changing.
Whether you’re a free-speech activist fed up with algorithmic suppression, an artist seeking greater revenue, or someone simply interested in the future, decentralized platforms provide a preview of what’s possible once we return sovereignty to the people. Enabling more diverse and independent forms of communication.
A reminder that being involved in it doesn’t require you to be an expert in blockchain. Thus, it could be time to set up a wallet, take control of your online persona, and experience what a decentralized social environment is like in reality.
