CASSANDRA

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WHAT'S NEW IN SOCIAL MEDIA

Does TikTok finally have some competition??

Last year, TikTok was on top of the world, having dethroned Google as the most visited website on the internet, and since then, is going from strength to strength. However, with a younger generation willing to try out the new thing that’s trending (hello 'Gas' app), new options are entering the market, ready to try to take a slice of the pie. Ahead, we spotlight some alternative additions hoping to gain from Gen Zs shifting sensibilities and one seeming to go the way of Clubhouse.

Image of the Lemon8 app logo on a yellow background

LEMON8

TikTok owner ByteDance has quietly launched a new app called Lemon8 in the UK and the US, and according to industry insiders is paying creators to post on it to drive engagement as long as they follow the strict guidelines. Describing itself as a "lifestyle community," the picture app's main feed is divided into a "Following" and a "For You," like TikTok, but can be sorted by content categories like "Beauty," "Fashion," and "Food." The app store description also mentions that trending content can be found by "searching keywords." Some content creators already lauded it for prioritizing "educational and informative content," referencing the detail and length required in captions.

Image of the Artifact logo with a phone screen showing news articles. Light blue, dark blue, and orange squares decorate the image.

ARTIFACT

Jumping on the AI bandwagon, Instagram co-founders launched Artifact, to one and all in late January, allowing news addicts everywhere to take the iOS and Android app for a spin.Described as what is essentially a personalized news feed that’s “powered by artificial intelligence.” - when you open it for the first time, the app asks you to select at least 10 topics that interest you. The list takes up two screens and includes numerous options under the headings of most popular; lifestyle; health; tech, and more. With AI driving the app, Artifact should improve its selections the more that a person uses it, with the app recommending it’ll take at least 25 article selections before it starts to get a handle on your news tastes, and it will continue to adapt after that.

Text quote, “I really love BEREAL it adds a layer of authenticity to social media and has been so much fun”

— Estrella, 21, CA (Cassandra Collective)

Image of the BeReal logo over a dark gray background. On the right, there's an image of a phone screen with a notification pop up that says "Time to BeReal. 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!"

BEREAL

Conversely, in line with Gen Zs transient nature, the 2022s iPhone app of the year - BeReal, which last year saw 10% of global youth engage, and other social apps scrambling to replicate its premise, has seen a steady decline in active monthly users whereby at its peak in September 2022, saw 12 million monthly downloads. This January that fell to 3.3 million. Some industry insiders suggest that usage has waned as a result of the app's very foundation: asking people to document what they are doing authentically, and in the moment, with the monotony and lack of variety in daily posts underscoring a greater dissatisfaction: with apps, with influencers, and with any sort of glorified content.