Social Media Network is a platform that allows users to connect with each other.

These platforms are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks.

There are several definitions of Social Media, and some of them consist of the ways these technologies are used.

I will not go into details about the history of social media networks because these are available online, but I would like to get your attention to how Social Media Networks behave in a certain manner.

What segment do Social Media Networks cater to?

1. Youtube: A content sharing platform, that encourages sharing of long-form video content.
2. Tik Tok: Again a content-sharing platform with a focus on short-form video content.
3. Instagram: Initially a picture and short-form video content platform, but they have also moved forward and done some experiments with long video formats.
4. LinkedIn: A professional network, focusing on jobs, and corporates.
5. Twitter: Focused on following Politics and Celebrities
6. Facebook: An amalgamation of all of the above.
7. Medium: A content sharing or blogging platform, with a focus on blogs.
8. Quora: A question and answer website
9. Whatsapp: Instant Messaging Application

There are some other Social Media Networks as well, which I haven't included, but most of them will have similar features that what we have mentioned here.

Can you see something strange happening here?
All the above Social Media Networks have one thing in common, i.e., they have a purpose for existence, except one, "Facebook". 

This statement may look controversial, but let me explain, why is it like this. 

Facebook has seen a drop in overall traffic for several months now. This is because it is trying to include everything possible in one platform, and this is diluting the value proposition that it used to bring initially.

Also, a new generation is moving away from Facebook now. This is because they want to be with their friends, who are on other social networks, and they don't have to be on a platform, where they will also find their parents.

Facebook was a connecting loop for people of Our Generation (Millenials) and Gen X Generation. But it is not proving to be attractive to the new generation (Generation Z).

But we are not here to talk about the downfall of Facebook. There is one more important thing that we have missed in the above list of Social Media Networks;

The Text-Based Social Media Networks
Text-based social media networks are those social networks, that encourage the use of text-based conversations and content. As with any other Social Media Network, the content is again user generated.

Some examples of text-based social media networks are;

1. WikiTribune (wt.social)
2. thewiki Network

I believe you might not have heard about wt.social. It is also a Text-Based Social Media Network, which is developed by the CO-founder of Wikipedia. Although there are some videos also that you can see on this social media network, most of the content on this website is text.

thewiki Network again on the other side is a text-based social media network, which encourages the use of text across its different use cases such as;

1. The Wire (Micro Blogging Feature)
2. Pages (to create collaborative pages)
3. Blogs (to write and publish blogs)
4. Questions (to ask questions, so that other users can provide answers to them)

These all features encourage the use of text as much as possible, and users are also awarded User Points for posting any blog or engaging with a Poll.

Why are we discussing text-based social networks?
Social Media Networks have grown manifolds over the years, and their features have also evolved.

But the only thing that they are missing these days is the essence of social networking, which text-based social networks are trying to restore.

Text-Based Social Networks are helping in creating an atmosphere where humans will start developing long attention time as used to happen initially.

Text-Based Social Networks are more like Books in this era of Social Networking

There is a time when we actually fed up with using Social Media Networks, and that is because of the content that is available on those platforms. Social Media Networks have content that has resulted in a reduction of our focus because of less attention and instant gratification that we get after using them.

This is also reflective in our actions these days.

Children these days are engaged with social media platforms that are intrusive in nature, and those social networks discourage the development of the brain properly, as children are addicted to the instant hit of dopamine that they receive after using those social media networks.

On the other hand, if children are encouraged to use text-based social networking websites, they will actually make their habit of reading, and this can also help them in enhancing their overall knowledge.

Having said that, writers and content creators also need a platform to brainstorm their ideas and receive positive criticism so that they can start working on their new best content.

Text-Based Social Networking Platforms also help content writers, and bloggers create their profiles and portfolio on one platform, and this can also be used during the time of interviews.

Let me give you an example;
Today any content writer can earn from 1 INR to 10 INR per word.
Also, for any person to rank on search engines like Google, or to exceed in Digital Marketing, they require content of at least 1500 to 2000, but not less.

So, if you got a client that is willing to pay even 5 INR per word for 2000 INR content, that amounts to Rs.10,000 which is exactly what you will be able to earn.

And if you got only 10 of those projects in a month, you have a monthly income of Rs.1,00,000.

But why will anyone pay you a sum of Rs.1,00,000 if they haven't seen your portfolio?

For this, one requires their own portfolio of articles, that can be shown to the clients. This again helps content writers a lot in this competitive world.

These were just a few examples of the benefits of text-based websites that many of us overlook.

As there are several social media platforms that are engaging in creating click baits (baits that will motivate or lure users to click on links and get hooked), there is a need to be careful about which social media platform we want to be on.

As a user, most of our personal data is shared on social networks these days, and we don't even have clear control over how to hide our profiles online. 

Now let's talk about Notifications and biasedness
Social Media Networks continuously ping each one of us, which makes us think about the updates, and we again open those platforms, and hence they are able to create a vicious circle.

On the other hand, Text Based Social Networks have a habit of not being intrusive by sending a mail notification in case someone has directly engaged with your content or post. This again helps in breaking the habit to check our phones again and again.

Having said that, have you observed that social media networks limit your reach to only a few of your contacts?
Yes, that's true.

All big Social Networks have a habit of segregating their users on the basis of geography and demography, and they limit the reach of a content creator to only 10% of their overall followers, this is done to keep their timelines clean unless that content is promoted using paid advertisements.

On the other hand, text-based social networks, especially thewiki Network doesn't believe in having an intrusive algorithm. It is simple FIFO (First In First Out), but then, if someone likes your article or comments on your post, it will be for a longer time on the timeline, which helps all the content writers get the exposure they deserve.

Also, these are not biased on the basis of geography, or demography of users. One can connect with their friends across the globe without having to search for them using a dedicated email id. This makes it much easier for text-based social networks to help people connect on the basis of interests and hobbies.

Have you ever tried a text-based social networking platform before?