Social media is evolving towards decentralization, shifting control back to users—a stark contrast to traditional, centralized platforms. This is a welcome change because the decentralization of social media prioritizes user empowerment by restoring control, offering a stark contrast to the dominance of traditional and centralized social media giants!
When talking about traditional social media, it’s not new news that companies like Meta, whose subsidiaries include Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, hold all the power. They control user data, dictate what users see and can even censor content. Remember, if something is free, you are the product.
While we can imagine the societal harm of users chasing dopamine hits in the unending pursuit of likes and comments, these companies are cashing in on our data, which fuels a multi-billion dollar advertising machine.
Decentralization of social media breaks away from corporate-controlled platforms, but what’s the value in that?
In decentralized social media, user data and content are stored across multiple computers, enhancing security and resistance to censorship
Just like Neo in The Matrix, decentralized social media offers us a red pill, a chance to wake up, break through the facade of an artificially constructed reality designed to control us, to not only see things for how they truly are but empower us with the tools necessary to set others free by inviting them to join us.
Our current social media experience is like a walled garden–it’s beautiful, and meticulously curated but ultimately restrictive. In this article, we will discuss the shift towards decentralization of social media from traditional social media. We will also take a closer look at platforms like SuperDapp where users have more control, creators are fairly compensated and online interactions are more transparent and user-driven.
The Dark Side of the Like Button: Decentralized Social Media vs Traditional Social Media
Decentralized Social Media (DeSo) clashes dramatically with the traditional social media platforms we are familiar with, offering a new paradigm built on the foundation of user empowerment and data ownership. But first, we need to see the light in order to break free from the beautiful prisons or walled gardens of centralized social media.
The Dissatisfaction with Current Revenue Models and the Potential For Fairer Structures in DeSo
The creator economy on traditional social media platforms is influenced by factors such as platform design, revenue sharing, and the distribution of creator capabilities. We must recognize the prevalence of questionable compensation structures for the content creators who give people a reason to engage with these sites in the first place.
For example, Meta is known to take a considerable 30% share while YouTube takes an incredible 45% cut from revenue generated by content creators. Of course, some compensation is better than none, and it could definitely be worse, but is it really fair?
One of the key shifts driving the decentralization of social media is the more attractive value proposition made to content creators. After all, thanks to their decentralized nature, there simply isn’t as much overhead needed to pay for things like offices, superfluous departments, or executive bonuses.
This presents an opportunity for decentralized social platforms like SuperDapp to disrupt the status quo, but what is SuperDapp?
SuperDapp is an AI-infused, decentralized SocialFi platform that allows users to interact with others with features like encrypted messaging between individuals and groups, voice and video calls while having their experience enhanced with Web3 features all rolled into a single application. It enhances user experiences with its AI companion, AiDA, which is powered by GPT4. SuperDapp’s integration with Sycoin NEVM and Sycoin Rollux enables it to bridge different blockchain networks so that it brings out a holistic communication environment for users.
The shift towards decentralized social media marks a pivotal moment in online interaction as it empowers users to take control of their data and experience.
The Rollux ecosystem spans across seven sectors including DeFi, Bridges, Gaming, Tool, Exchanges, NFT and On/Off Ramp
Having discussed the overarching benefits of decentralized platforms like SuperDapp, let’s delve deeper into how they empower users and creators through innovative governance and monetization models.
SUPR Tokens and User Governance
SuperDapp introduces innovative features that enhance user empowerment and creator revenue. For instance, its revenue-sharing model offers a more equitable distribution compared to traditional platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
While platforms like TikTok and Twitter address basic social needs, their business models don’t prioritize user empowerment or data control. In contrast, decentralized social media platforms like SuperDapp not only provide fairer revenue distribution but also grant users more control over their content and interactions.
SuperDapp’s economy will be supported through the application of its utility token, SUPR. Holding SUPR tokens empowers users, granting them voting rights on platform developments. This empowers users to directly influence revenue generation and distribution, ensuring a user-centric approach, unlike the top-down models of traditional social media.
Direct Content Monetization
Traditional platforms like YouTube and TikTok have paved the way for content monetization, yet they retain a significant portion of the revenue generated. In contrast, decentralized platforms like SuperDapp allow creators to earn directly from their audiences, bypassing the middlemen and their onerous fees.
SuperDapp takes this a step further by enabling users to directly monetize their content through engagement-based SUPR token rewards within Super Groups. These groups are vibrant communities where content creators and their followers interact, contribute, and grow together, fostering a supportive environment. This system directly links creators’ efforts to their earnings and enhances community engagement, offering a transparent and equitable model that benefits creators and their communities alike. Learn more about Super Groups from the graphic below.
Super Groups, a feature that allows users to connect and monetize content.
Web2 Social Media Platforms Hoarding Our Data
In today’s digital age, data has become as valuable as traditional assets like factories or land. As we pivot to Web3, understanding how it changes data control is crucial.
Under Web 2.0, giants such as Meta and TikTok, claim ownership over the data we generate—our posts, our likes, our digital interactions. This ownership translates into power—the power to leverage our data for advertising, the power to influence and even sell our digital profiles.
Research by Crypto.com in 2022 shows we spend about 2.5 hours daily on social media—a significant portion of our waking lives immersed in a digital space that’s meticulously recording our every click.
Daily time spent on social networking by internet users according to crypto.com research.
But it’s not just about data—it’s also about our voices. Centralized platforms can silence us by censoring content or removing users entirely.
Web3 and SocialFi: A New Era of Digital Empowerment
Enter Web3 and SocialFi, a merger of social networking with the principles of decentralized finance (DeFi). Here, you reclaim control over your data. Encryption enhances your privacy, shielding your digital activity from prying eyes.
SocialFi isn’t just about data control; it’s about economic participation. You can monetize your social engagement and creative content directly, establishing a more equitable ecosystem for creators.
Platforms like SuperDapp champion this new era with end-to-end encryption for all communications, ensuring that conversations remain between the intended parties alone. SuperDapp also anonymizes user data, making personal information and metadata indecipherable to anyone but the user.
Moreover, the decentralized and censorship-resistant fabric of SuperDapp ensures that no single entity can control or censor user data, preserving the freedom of expression. This independence from central control is not just a feature; it’s the foundation of a platform where users truly own their digital existence.
Transparency and Algorithmic Fairness
The transition to Web3 social media is reshaping the digital landscape into a collaborative environment. Here, creators, users, and the platform work in tandem fostering a scenario where everyone wins. Web3 redefines the social media framework, ushering in a new age of openness and fair market practices for algorithms and app features.
SuperDapp, at the forefront of this change, champions AI-powered SocialFi, ensuring a transparent approach to content ranking and rewards. Gone are the days of opaque algorithms—SuperDapp’s transparency gives everyone an insight into what content gains traction and why.
With the recent update, @SuperDappAI has improved its performance, user experience, automation, contacts, sign-up flow, and more ✨
SuperDapp shares a recent update to the AI app including improvements to performance, user experience, automation, contacts, and the signup flow.
Powered by blockchain and smart contracts, AiDA, SuperDapp’s AI companion, dynamically adapts based on user interactions, refining the platform to cater to individual preferences. This not only heightens user satisfaction but also encourages a tailored experience for each user.
Furthermore, SuperDapp rewards developers directly through its innovative monetization strategy for AI plugins. As users engage with AI features, developers reap the benefits, all enabled by SuperDapp’s flexible payment system, which supports subscription models seamlessly.
Conclusion: Decentralization of Social Media
Our journey through the emerging world of decentralized social media illuminates a path of autonomy and fairness, with SuperDapp leading the charge. It’s clear that platforms like SuperDapp aren’t just altering the digital landscape; they are setting new standards for creator compensation, user agency, and data stewardship.
SuperDapp transcends the limitations of traditional platforms by offering a user-driven ecosystem where the value generated is shared equitably, bolstering both creator sustainability and community engagement. The privacy, security, and transparency ingrained in decentralized systems are not just features—they’re foundational pillars that reshape our online interactions and content consumption.
As we close this discussion, it’s evident that the shift towards platforms like SuperDapp represents more than an evolution in social media—it heralds a renaissance of digital empowerment and connection, unshackled from the constraints of centralized control. In this new era, every like, share, and interaction is a step towards a more inclusive, secure, and user-centric online world.
Our journey through the emerging world of decentralized social media illuminates a path of autonomy and fairness, with SuperDapp leading the charge. It’s clear that platforms like SuperDapp aren’t just altering the digital landscape; they are setting new standards for creator compensation, user agency, and data stewardship.
SuperDapp transcends the limitations of traditional platforms by offering a user-driven ecosystem where the value generated is shared equitably, bolstering both creator sustainability and community engagement. The privacy, security, and transparency ingrained in decentralized systems are not just features—they’re foundational pillars that reshape our online interactions and content consumption.
As we close this discussion, it’s evident that the shift towards platforms like SuperDapp represents more than an evolution in social media—it heralds a renaissance of digital empowerment and connection, unshackled from the constraints of centralized control. In this new era, every like, share, and interaction is a step towards a more inclusive, secure, and user-centric online world.
Curiosity didn't just kill the cat; it dramatically shifted the course of my career! From chartered accountancy to blockchain, my professional journey has been anything but ordinary.
I take tough, knotty blockchain topics and turn them into easy reads. My work has not only been recognized in a book published by Stanford University Press, but I've also contributed to legal research papers featured in the Cambridge Handbook and the Maryland State Bar Association's blog.
