As social networks changed the way we inform and interact. The sum of its users reaches 3,8 billion inhabitants, which represents half of the planet's population. This means that even if you are not connected to one, you will be very close to someone in your family or friendship circle who will be.
To begin, let's take a look at how social networks compare in terms of monthly active users (MAUs) - an industry metric widely used to measure the success of these platforms.
Only the set of technologies linked to the Facebook (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger) we have almost 7 billion MAUs, but considering that most likely a user is in more than one network, there should be about 3 to 3,5 billion people. It is today the largest global information exchange network for humanity.
- Its stock price continues to rise while the traditional economy faces less optimistic forecasts. Facebook still has the largest user group, moving closer and closer to the 3 billion MAU mark.
Youtube
- YouTube competes head-on with traditional television programs and streaming sites. The platform raised revenues of USD 15,1 billion in 2019, almost double the numbers in 2017.
- Twitter has been profitable over the past two years, reporting net revenue from $1,2 e USD1,5 billion in 2018 and 2019, respectively. They undoubtedly have a lot of work to do as they continue to tackle fake news and similar controversies on their platform.
The broad participation in social media comes with its fair set of problems. Some companies like Facebook are on target on both sides of the political spectrum. As concerns over privacy and data grow, social media will be at the front and center of shaping the future of government, business and politics.
Only time will tell how high the number of users will reach. The long-term trajectory suggests that there is more space left on the engine. There are still parts of the world that are just beginning to have the technological infrastructure to make social networks a possibility. It is plausible that future growth will come from this avenue.
