July Dean Magazine: July 2023

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
D R . M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N
We have seen the maturing of social media over the past
twenty years or so and it is following the same trajectory as
all other industries, just a lot quicker.
The social media landscape of the past — AOL Instant
Messenger (AIM), MySpace, Aimster, Google Wave, Yik
Yak, Vine, Google +, ITunes Ping, SnapChat and others —
gave way to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and
now Threads, Spill, and Spoutible.
The summer of hot apps is just heating up and the battle for
users, popularity, and trend-setting hot takes will be fun to
watch — and participate in as users and advertisers.
What will be most critical though will be how the apps
function during the presidential campaign.
Will they be slow to respond to foreign interference again?
Will they allow insurrections to be planned in the open on
their apps?
Will they allow foreign and domestic shadowy
organizations to spread misinformation and
disinformation?
Will they allow more single-purpose hate accounts to again
thrive? Will they allow Russians to buy ads, create fake
accounts, and use those accounts and the advertising
targeting tools to suppress Black voters like Facebook and
Twitter did last election?
Whether you are online or not you will not stop most of
the global population from being online and influencing
what you see, read, listen to, watch, and buy.
The power of social media is proven and will only gain
more traction and influence in the coming years.
It will be fun to see what the current and next waves bring
starting in this Hot App Summer.
Time will tell and we will all see it play out in real time.
Again.
In the meantime, now is the time to test drive the apps and
find the one or ones that fit your specific aesthetic, if any,
for online engagement. You can use them all or use none.
You aren’t required to do anything, to follow anyone, or to
promote any app. You are the “Get” for the apps,
advertisers, and creators. They want your eyes, your
influence, your networks, and of course, your money.
DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | July 2023 | p.20