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Sarah Jordi

Will people still use social audio / social media post Covid?

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Shutdowns, lockdowns, quarantining, home-office and self-isolation are making us crave human connection and we obviously use technology to substitute for the real thing. Imagine a world post-pandemic. I'm wondering what will happen once we all get our "freedom" back. Will zoom-fatigue and everyone being annoyed with their sky-rocketing screen time lead to us all reducing our social media / social audio use? Did the pandemic show us how important real, in-person human connection is or are social media platforms already to big a part in our lives?

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Kanan Tandi
Yes they will. For most the people, it has become a habit now. And it is not easy to break a habit so easily.
Sarah Jordi
@kanan_tandi yea you might be right. I hope you are, since we are building a social audio product :)
Sazzadur Rahman
@kanan_tandi yes,but it’s became a part of life.In this situation you have to stay in home and communicate with others by social media.Am I right?
joshua mendoza
I think yes. Even before covid started, we're always on our phones using our social media accounts so I don't see any difference why people will stop using it. Also, the pandemic really made us realize what we have been missing in the real world
Taksheel Hariaksa
Yes they will, Many people have become accustomed to using them I don't know if they will know another way.
Sarah Jordi
@terlinglo_hillippinp Im mainly wondering if the use of such social platforms also correlates with available time. And if we don't spend as much time at home anymore, because we will spend more time outside again, if the time spent on social media/social audio will drop 🤔
Alexa Vovchenko
I hope it will be the way you describe because I perceive going to the cinema already as a special event :D However, I'm not sure if post pandemic will affect the usage of social media or gadgets generally.
Sarah Jordi
@aleksandra_vovchenko yea, same! I just realised that I sometimes use social audio to talk to friends as well and I assume that will change a bit as soon as it gets easier to meet in person again... but who knows! :)
Angelina Grischenko
@aleksandra_vovchenko @sarahxjo absolutely! pandemic did show us how important in-person human connection is and I truly hope we will sway back to normal live meetings
Cica-Laure Mbappé
Sure they will. Especially for posting vacation stories 😎 On a more serious note, even if social media are a big part of our lives today, they will still be present in a post-pandemic world. This is how people connect and meet, so I think people will reduce their screen time but social media still a way to learn, travel, find good restaurants and activities.
Ali Shah
Social audio listeners may transition back to the car, assuming we return to a post-covid, daily commute world. But the post-covid reality is persisting, and it's likely going to stay here a while IMHO. That being said, this space is also becoming saturated fast... Clubhouse, Spaces, Upstream, and today, Spotify announced its own clubhouse-style live audio... apparently Facebook is also working on it. Traditional social media will do anything to keep attention and engagement on their platforms since their revenue/earnings are directly tied to it. For new incumbents, the challenge will be differentiation and community.
Sarah Jordi
@shahalica Honestly, I feel like just because audio is a trending space and many platforms are getting into it, doesn't mean it's a winner-takes-it-all market. It could be, of course. But for example, I personally use Facebook (rarely), Linkedin (regularly) and Instagram (regilarly). All Social media platforms, but all with different angles. And I think it can be similar for social audio. using 1-3 different platforms for different needs. But who knows.. But regarding the first part of your answers, I also tend to agree that with this new reality, the social media usage might stay rather high.
Ali Shah
@sarahxjo you're right Sarah, it's not a winner-take-all market. On all social media platforms, audio is just another trendy feature to add on. But being exclusive to audio and building the right community will definitely have its advantages.
Jack Davis
Social media was used before the pandemic so it will be used after it as well. It is just a way to stay connected with people, especially people who live far away. It will likely always be used from now until a new invention like a brain chip where you can send message telepathically comes out or something. Good question though.
Sarah Jordi
@jack_davis7 Yea I'm not doubting that we will keep using it. I was more thinking if we will reduce screen time – not even intentionally, but automatically, when we can get back to "normality" (hopefully) and will most likely spend a lot more time out with friends or doing all the things we couldn't do for the last year. Or maybe we will see a short term drop and then it will go up again.
Cihat Demirtas
On the other hand; please think about if we live at our reality now and never go back to our past normal, when we perception? (: I think freedom is the our reality of life now. I hope that I understand your question and respond. Thank you.
Fabian Maume
They might be some drop in usage but it will stay an important share of social media. Podcasts started to take off far before the covid crisis. After it will be a matter of personal choice, I don't like audio based media as I can read much faster than I can listen.
Sarah Jordi
@fabian_maume do you ever use the x1.5 or double speed option for podcasts? I get what you mean with the "reading faster", but that feature sometimes helps. Although that of course only works with recorded podcasts and not with live social audio.
Fabian Maume
@sarahxjo My ready speed is x10 to x15 my conversation speed. So the x1.5 feature doesn't realy help.
Benoit Chambon
If we assume the mask wearing and distance protections keep being applied because of the risk of other pandemics + the fact that we gain time by using less transport to go to conferences and other events, then I think this trend could continue :) (I'm not pessimist, just wondering ^^)
Sarah Jordi
@benoit_chambon yea you could be right about that. I really don't want you to be right on this one though. :D But yea.. if that all continues, then I think social media, especially audio will play an even bigger role going forward.
Yeshaswini
Audio will stay especially because creators need new ways to monetize and create an audience. Platforms like YouTube are not theirs to keep - they are essentially one amongst millions of creators on that platform. So expanding is the only way to survive and hence demand for audio platforms like Discord, Clubhouse is here to stay
Roshan Choudhary
normal, when we perception? (: I think freedom is the our reality of life now. I hope that I understand your question and respond. Thank you.
The Neon Tetra
Basically, I don't use
Jaskiran Kaur
I think when pandemic will get over , work from home will still be used , either it can be travelling , issues , it can help saving money on the infrastructure like electricity bill, paint and more , a person who can't go on work while having fractured leg ,etc. People will definitely use best of both worlds for this purpose.
Sarah Jordi
Yea I think you're right. But I also realised that I keep changing my mind depending on the weather and my own mood for spending time on social apps vs. time outside with friends. Also, social audio platforms actually do allow to reduce screen time as consuming content doesn't require scrolling through an endless feed.
Helen Thomas
Yes, of course, people will continue using social media despite having a pandemic right now. It is one of our ways to become updated with the current happenings around our friends and families. So why would they stop using it?