Social media has recently become an interesting part of our lives. We post every minute detail of our lives on these platforms. Social media that we know today is different from that a decade earlier, and it will be completely different in the decade after.
In the present-day world, we are already so cluttered with social media. Let’s find out what the future holds for us.
The Immediate Future
When Gen Z decides to go out for any purpose, they use Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to find a good location. The power of social media has threatened Google.
It is because young adults prefer visual content as compared to written-down content. The Senior Vice President of Google, Prabhakar Raghavan, says that about 40% of young people prefer social media as a visual context compared to reading on Google.
Social Networking
In the future, social media will not be just about posting pictures and getting likes; it will be much more. It will form a base for sales. People would easily buy products through WhatsApp or Instagram. Most of the sales will be made directly through such sites.
Also, the advertisement strategies of companies will be completely digital to grow. It also helps in optimizing their SEO. Social Networking would also help maintain contacts or reconnect with friends, family, and peers. It might be advantageous for the users to use such communications in times of need.
More Dependence On Influencers
Who are influencers? Influencers are people online who play a major role in directing various decisions of consumers.
Influencers are considered experts in their fields. It is believed that the information provided by them is authentic and well-researched. For instance, while scrolling through Instagram, you will find many individuals giving information on education loans for students in different countries.
The role of influencers is increasing day by day. In the future, they will influence most consumers’ purchasing and selling decisions. Such information is easily available on Google, but young adults prefer the illustrated version. Even they like recommendations made by influencers more than their close ones.
The role of content creators gradually increases. Most Gen Z is making a career in this field. They can start a career in content creation at an early age. Influencer marketing is not a new concept, but it is believed to expand in the future. Therefore, with power and strong artificial intelligence algorithms, influencer marketing will become more prominent.
Most influencers have many followers who blindly trust their opinions and thoughts. Companies usually appoint such influencers to attract customers to their products. Hence, companies will start hiring such influencers to advertise their products as they already have the necessary reach and engagement required.
Customer Care
Customer care with digitalized channels is going to be changed completely. Solving customer queries, fixing problems, and answering customers’ specific questions will become much more efficient.
Customer care will be all-pervasive and can be solved anywhere in the world. It has been made easy by companies launching their mobile applications. Such applications contain solutions to most of the problems usually faced by the users, known as FAQs and also involve solving issues on a real-time basis. Even AI usage chatbots can provide quick and appropriate solutions to users.
It is believed that companies will be able to identify the problems of its use, whether physiological or emotional behaviour, through smartwatches.
Personalized Content
Currently, we have watches showing us our pulse rate, heart rate, step count, distance and kilometres covered, and many more.
In the future, such technology is expected to grow gradually. The amount of data everyone will have by the year 2039 would be surprising as of now. We would get filtered feeds based on our likes and preferences.
It would also make necessary decisions based on the data it has collected and will provide a personalized and powerful experience. In the next 20-30 years, we will be surrounded by such advanced technology that it will become difficult for us to differentiate between the real and virtual worlds.
Mixed Reality and social media channels will form the base for the new world.
AR Reality
Augmented Reality is a platform that combines real-time experience and computer-generated technology. It involves using phones or glasses. Includes visionary, olfactory, and auditory content.
AR facility has not reached all the users; however, it is expected to grow at an increasing rate shortly. It would provide a complete shopping experience. It gives the facility to try things on themselves digitally.
For instance, Lenskart has started using this feature and provides consumers with the experience of trying all the frames digitally instead of visiting the store physically.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer technology where an environment can be explored 360 degrees. VR can be used for shopping, gaming, and interacting with others.
AR and VR reality was in existence way before. For instance, if you have used Snapchat and Instagram filters to make things look real, then you have used AR and VR. Such platforms are only expected to grow further, with other sites following them and will become more conventional.
Metaverse
What is the Metaverse? Metaverse involves using hardware and software technologies for many purposes, such as gaming and communicating with each other. It consists in bringing the world into 3D Reality.
In the meta world, one can chat, go to virtual concerts, work, travel, relax and learn new things. It is a union of the real world and the virtual world. In the future, Metaverse will be ubiquitous. It is built on the foundations of social media tools such as liking, sharing, commenting, etc.
Metaverse is the amalgamation or mixture of gaming, e-commerce, social networking, and virtual and augmented Reality. It is intended to provide more interacting features. The virtual world is already providing us with vivid and convincing sounds and sights; it is expected to offer other senses, such as touch, feel, and taste. If we can tackle this technology, it will be one of the greatest conquests of humanity.
Hence, in the future, it will be possible not to just video chat with your loved ones but to talk to them and walk around with them through the seven wonders of the world.
Advertising and Branding
Advertising and Branding is an important tools for any business unit. Metaverse will help a business improve its products’ availability and affordability. With technological improvements, the Metaverse will augment a company to promote its products. Users will get a chance to try such products in the comfort of their homes. It will help in boosting sales.
For instance, McDonald’s has decided to enter the metaverse world by creating a virtual restaurant. They have created virtual food and beverages as downloadable files containing colour, design, artwork, text, audio, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The company is still applying for trademarks, and implementing such features is a long wait. Still, the idea and technology required for the same are expected to be implemented soon.
Safety Concern In The Metaverse
Will safety be an issue in the Metaverse?
We know that everything has a good and a bad side, and so does the Metaverse. With more freedom, access and liberty come the danger of using it irresponsibly. Cyberbullying, harassment, and spreading fake news are major concerns for the Metaverse since this new and upgraded social media version is so fascinating that it becomes difficult for an individual to walk away from it, amplifying the severity of dangers.
Metaverse allows users to move around virtually with each other but here come the problems of virtual groping and wrongdoing. Hence there is a requirement to include safety options in the Metaverse.
Conclusion
In the new world, platforms such as e-commerce, gaming, social networking sites, etc., are intrinsically linked under the Metaverse.
Metaverse would allow us to enter these platforms and experience them on a real-time basis rather than just scrolling on our smartphones. It would give us new and a fun experiences by magnifying everything we love and hate on social media.
Businesses that want to develop virtual reality features can expand their business by meeting the current demand for such technologies. The main issue to be faced by the designers is the design that needs to be combated to develop AR, VR, and the Metaverse. Along with this, developing such technology can be very expensive. Even a prototype may cost a fortune.
The future is unpredictable. Things that seem impossible now will become a part of our day-to-day life. Yet, it would involve a lot of new technologies which would make our lives easy and comfortable.
Last Updated on November 14, 2023 by ayeshayusuf
