Beyond Facebook
Facebook remains the most subscribed social media platform for millennials and the older generations, but for the younger generations Z and Alpha, Facebook is less relevant. TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have all established a slightly younger overall userbase than the long-established competition. However, YouTube has emerged as an exception to the rule. Often categorized as a streaming service, YouTube has evolved to bear more similarities with social media platforms than a streaming service like Netflix. Just like Facebook and Instagram, YouTube users can comment and like, make community posts, and create user-generated content. YouTube is even predicted to overtake Facebook in the number of users by 2025.Occupying a completely different space in the social media landscape are specialized platforms like LinkedIn, which has restricted the social media format to professional relationships, and even dating apps are taking on more social media qualities. How Australians are using their social media accounts is constantly changing and most will engage with social media on a daily basis. Social media is now used as an alternative to Google to find information and as a source of news, however, a 2021 survey by the University of Canberra indicated that around half of Australians distrust news accessed via social media.
