Exploring the Ephemeral Nature of Social Media Trends and the Challenge of Sustaining Success”
In a digital world constantly buzzing with new social media apps vying for attention, Lapse, a U.K.-based challenger, has captured the spotlight by turning your smartphone into a disposable camera. Ranking third on the Apple App Store’s chart for free iPhone apps in the U.S., it has garnered significant interest. But as history has shown, creating a breakout hit is one thing, while maintaining that momentum is an entirely different challenge.
Social media trends come and go, and in this blog post, we delve into the fleeting nature of these platforms. Despite initial spikes in interest, most platforms ultimately fade into obscurity (think Bebo, Vine, Friendster, MySpace, Clubhouse, BeReal, and many more). Even having a global icon like former President Trump as a backer couldn’t guarantee the success of Truth Social, which reported substantial operating losses.
Lapse and platforms like BeReal are often pitched as antidotes to Instagram, aiming to foster genuine connections among friends and family in an unfiltered environment. Yet, the established giants like Facebook continue to thrive, despite consistent criticism. Recent data even suggests that Meta’s largest apps are still gaining daily users, outperforming the Gen-Z favorite, TikTok.
In this blog post, we explore the challenges that social media challengers like Lapse face in maintaining their buzz amidst the ever-changing landscape of digital platforms. Is it possible for them to carve out a lasting niche, or will they succumb to the same fate as their predecessors?