From: thepipeline_xyz
The Evolution of Social Media
Social media has seen an “incredible rise” over the past 10 to 20 years, with an “explosion” particularly in the last five, exemplified by platforms like TikTok scaling to 1.5 billion users within years of its release [01:52:00]. This growth is built on the “next generation of the attention economy” [02:51:00]. Key trends in social media development include:
- Rise of Content Creators and Influencers The past two decades have seen an “incredible rise of content creators social media influencers across all verticals” [01:56:00].
- Short-Form Video Content The “short form video content was unlocked from Tik Tok especially with the foru page” [12:39:00], which gave users a feed not based on subscriptions but on predicting content they would enjoy [12:42:00]. This model was adopted by other platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts [13:00:00].
- Increasing Engagement New products continually aim to “more deeply engage the community more deeply engage the viewer base that kind of like brings social media to the next level” [02:06:00].
- Daily Necessity Social media use continues to trend “up and to the right” [12:26:00], with 77% of Gen Z using it every single day [13:29:00]. Phones, and thus social media applications, have become a “necessity in everyday life” [14:01:00].
The Emergence of AR/VR in Social Media
While social media is deeply integrated into daily life, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are still considered “pretty nascent technology” for widespread consumer adoption [14:32:00].
Current Challenges
Early VR setups were “too hard to set up,” involved “too many wires,” and caused physical discomfort like “head hurt after an hour of using it” [14:38:00]. Even recent high-profile attempts like Apple Vision Pro have not “really catch[ed] on” and are seen as “way too early to see any kind of meaning[ful] pushed from the consumer perspective” [14:47:00]. The complexity of solving issues related to the “human head and brain” remains a significant hurdle [18:25:00].
Future Potential
Despite current challenges, there is a strong “long-term bullish” sentiment for AR, particularly because it takes a device people are “already on all day” and makes the experience “more immersive” [15:23:00]. The expectation is an “iPhone moment where a company figures out the best form function to provide that and a way to like make it easy for people to use” [15:04:00].
Key areas where AR’s quality improvement is expected to have “numerous applications” include:
- Immersive Consumer Experiences Enhanced models in AR allow for virtual try-ons of clothing, sunglasses, and shoes in online stores [15:50:00]. This capability, already “usable” in the past two years, streamlines the consumer journey by making products feel “almost tangible” before purchase [16:04:00].
- AI Influencers The evolution of AI could lead to “totally nonhuman not real Creator or influencer[s] that accumulates a massive audience on socials” and monetizes through various products [17:05:00]. Some companies already have AI influencers with “a few million followers on YouTube or Instagram that are fully Ai and they actually have like legit sponsors” [17:58:00]. This presents a “totally brand new market for Content creators” [19:10:00].
Impact on Industries: The Music Business
The rise of short-form video on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts has fundamentally impacted the music industry [19:19:00]. Artists used to focus on creating hour-long albums for physical and digital distribution [19:30:00]. Now, content is “totally optimized… for 30 to 60 second audio clips that go viral” [20:14:00]. Success in booking live tours is “much less about the quality of you know an hourlong album” and “more about Who can capture attention on social media for 30 to 60 seconds” [20:35:00]. This shift is driven by audience attention flocking towards shorter content forms [21:11:00].