Social websites and platforms have taken over society, but as the market gets more saturated we see them coming up with more and more cool innovations as they try to stand out from the crowd. Here are the four newest, upcoming social platforms and websites around at the moment:
1. Snapchat
Snapchat has been around for ages but it has only recently become the trendiest social network/app around thanks to some new features and a FOMO (fear of missing out effect) which has seen it become the fastest growing social application.
If you did not already know, Snapchat allows you to take pictures and then send them to your friends with a set time limit on them, after which they are gone forever. Photos can be edited, modified, and added and the app is extremely easy to use.
New features include the addition of “stories” which allows selected photos or videos to be stored for 24 hours and viewed unlimited times before they expire. The addition of voice, chat, and video messaging and also a plethora of popular channels to follow from big brands and websites (Buzzfeed, ESPN, etc) has made Snapchat into the trendiest app on the market.
2. The Talent Bank
The Talent bank is a community for creative people allowing the submission of creative work and provides a place for you to add stuff in a wide range of categories. You can submit your art, short films, poetry, drawings, and photography, and users of the site can rate your work and give feedback. The neat thing about this site is that each category has its own “chart” which arranges the entries by their rating so you can see what has the most votes for the month, year, and all time. Also, you can upload videos that give extra feedback about the entry you have uploaded so you can describe what inspired you or the creative process behind it.
The platform is completely free to use and they also push the site out to magazines, publishers, record companies, etc. so you may just get discovered on there and turn a part-time hobby into a career.
3. Miitomo
Previously known for their high quality gaming output, Nintendo has recently dipped its proverbial toe into the app market.
Miitomo lets you communicate with others using your “Mii” as an avatar. This can be created on your Wii-U or 3DS and you can spend hours customizing it to your preference. Choosing its voice allows you to interact with your “character”. It will ask you questions and it will react based on what you say to it.This is actually currently the biggest smartphone app in Japan. Whether it will have the same success in the West remains to be seen.
4. Blab
Blab is the hot new name in video chat. Imagine an experience similar to Periscope but instead of one person, there are a group of people. Up to four people video chat at the same time with a possible audience of thousands that can comment on what you are talking about or even become a part of the discussion in place of one of the four people with the video chat initiator deciding whether to accept or deny the person to enter the chat. Chats can also be recorded for later viewing.
As chats are taking place comments are shown next to them with viewers able to post questions and “reactions” which, in the case of a debate for example, allow viewers to lend support to one of the speakers. This obviously has had huge potential for a wide range of debates.
