Social Media in Malaise: Is BuzzFeed the Saviour?
Social media is in a malaise – at least if you believe social media. Several platforms have sprung up hoping to offer an alternative. The web design platform Squarespace has launched Cosmos, which it describes as Pinterest for creative inspiration, and BuzzFeed is joining the party.
BuzzFeed’s New Social Media Platform
BuzzFeed is creating a new "AI-driven platform built for creativity and joy, not manipulation or addiction". The platform, called BF Island, will encourage creators to make authentic content for its own worth, not for clicks or the whims of an algorithm. Founder and CEO Jonah Peretti announced the plans in a 3,000-word manifesto, in which he defenestrates Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook/Instagram) and ByteDance (TikTok) founder Zhang Yiming for their irresponsible attitudes towards content and for putting curation in the hands of AI.
The Problem with Social Media
Peretti’s analysis is spot on. What I’m less convinced about is whether BuzzFeed is going to be the one to fix it. He claims that today’s social media has become overrun by SNARF (stakes, novelty, anger, retention, and fear), techniques creators have learned to use to take advantage of algorithms. "If the early internet was serving beer and wine that brought people together, today’s internet is dealing crack and fentanyl that tears people apart," he says.
Concerns about BF Island
So, what are the concerns about BF Island? Here are a few:
1. Self-Interest
Call me a cynic, but I’m guessing that, like when Elon Musk claimed to have bought Twitter for the good of humanity, BuzzFeed’s motivation may not be entirely altruistic. It will be at least partly motivated by a problem all traditional online media is struggling with: social platforms aren’t giving us much traffic anymore.
2. More of the Same
Despite its insistence that it definitely does not do clickbait, BuzzFeed became synonymous with viral content and a style of headline writing that makes articles impossible not to click even if you know they’re going to waste your time. Will it really bring back the social part of social media?
3. AI-Driven
Have they not clocked that this isn’t a selling point? AI features are one of the reasons people have been leaving other platforms. Jonah’s manifesto lambasts how TikTok and Instagram have allowed AI to take advantage of our most predictable behaviors to make social media more addictive, but he doesn’t give any insight into how BuzzFeed’s implementation would be better. And any use of AI is going to make people wonder if their content is being scraped for something else.
4. Same Problems as Every Other Platform
There aren’t many specifics in the announcement, so it remains to be seen if BuzzFeed will address any of the most common gripes with social media. Will it give users more control over the content they see and show them more content from the people they follow? Will it do a better job of removing bots, spam, and fake news? Will it have fewer ads and more authentic content?
Conclusion
In conclusion, while BF Island may be an interesting development, there are many reasons to be skeptical. Will it truly be a platform that prioritizes creativity and joy, or will it just be another way for BuzzFeed to make money? Only time will tell.
FAQs
Q: What is BF Island?
A: BF Island is a new social media platform being developed by BuzzFeed.
Q: What is the purpose of BF Island?
A: The purpose of BF Island is to create a platform that is built for creativity and joy, not manipulation or addiction.
Q: Will BF Island be a social media platform?
A: Yes, BF Island will be a social media platform that encourages creators to make authentic content for its own worth, not for clicks or the whims of an algorithm.
Q: Will I be able to join BF Island?
A: Yes, you can sign up to request to join the private beta at www.buzzfeed.com/bfisland.
