Social Networking Apps: Expectations Vs Reality

social networking apps expectation reality

Social networking apps are a huge part of our lives these days. But what happens when we get too wrapped up in them? Do our expectations match the reality of such social networking sites?

There is some reason why each one of us loves using social networking apps and it varies from person to person. Some might look for informative content while others prefer to enjoy their free time with entertainment!

Nevertheless, no matter how much ever we talk about the development of social networking experience, the core reasons behind people’s usage of social media are that we like to stay connected with friends and family, as well as to meet new people. 

It includes activities like messaging, posting updates and photos, and joining groups. In recent history, they also help people to stay updated on the recent trending activities in and around the world.

People’s expectations for social networking sites are constantly changing. What was once a place for friends to catch up on each other’s lives has turned into a battleground for likes, shares, and followers. People are now looking for validation from their online networks, and they’re constantly vying for the most likes, shares, and followers. This can often lead to unhealthy competition and comparison.

As social networking sites become increasingly popular, people join them with high expectations of what they will gain from the experience. However, what often happens is that their expectations are not always met and they are left feeling disappointed. However, it is important to make a reality check before diving into any conclusion. 


A side profile of a woman in a russet-colored turtleneck and white bag. She looks up with her eyes closed.

With that said, let’s go deep and understand the main reasons why people are using social networking sites!


1) Staying connected with friends and family

Several social networking sites exist with the notion that they can help people to stay connected with their family and friends. However, either we get too connected to our online friends or get too distracted by the activities of others online. This is majorly due to the negative feelings that some social networking apps might create in people unknowingly.

This is where Pepul helps to offer a positive connection with friends and family by creating a positive social media experience for people around the globe.

2) Feeling more connected to the world

The psychology behind “likes, shares, comments, followers” is the urge to feel more connected to the world. And, the most popular way to stay connected is by using social networking sites. 

But what makes people engage in online activities with fellow others in such apps? Is it the recognition that they could create for them, or just the feeling of belongingness?

Although we can list out various reasons for the urge to connectivity, quite a lot of us would want to escape the “Fear of Missing Out.” We would want to be part of the newness that the world creates every now and then. 

Hence, it is time that we might have to be part of a positive environment in contrast to other social networking sites.

Pepul creates a social networking platform for everyone by fostering positive content shares and helping develop positive feelings among people.

3) Gaining a sense of community

Humans are born with a sense of community. Although some of us prefer some time alone, most of us would like to roam in groups. The same is the case in social networking sites as well.

Pepul helps to build interest-based online groups wherein the users can identify people in their interests to gain a sense of community.

Knowing that people are here to share our interests and passion, can make us feel secure, and supported in a social networking platform. 

4) Self-expression made easy

Although social networking sites help people to come out of their shells by helping them to express their selves in a free manner, too often, personal information is shared without discretion, which can lead to negative consequences.

People often take such happenings to their benefit and exploit the freedom in social media making others panic about their usage.

Pepul helps people to exhibit great self-expression by initiating a self-verified and simple KYC verification process to help people to step out of anonymity and self-expression made easy without having to worry about wrong content usage.

Also Read: Check out the 10 quick tips to enjoy using Pepul app!

5) Usage as a promotional tool

While social networking sites are developed to make people get closer to their family and loved ones, most of them are really used as a means of promotional tools such as giving aggravating advertisements making it really difficult to use such apps at ease. So, this makes people’s expectations of social networking sites change over a period of time. 

Additionally, such sites need to do a better job of filtering out spam and promoting constructive interactions.

Finally, sites need to be more mindful of the effects their platforms have on users, especially children, and adolescents. This is the reason why Pepul is an ad-free platform that can make people have a good social experience by sharing media, creating moments, and videos, connecting through chats and finally watching videos without having to worry about any in-app promotional advertisements that usually hinder the user’s experience in social networking.

So, what could be the reason behind such a change in the expectations of people?

Well!

This is where the term “Validation” comes into play! There is no doubt that social networking is a powerful tool that can be used for a variety of purposes. However, it is important to remember that social networking should not be used to replace real-world relationships but should be supporting real-life connections.

Some people argue that social networking sites are not fulfilling their potential because they are not being used for their original purpose – to connect people. Instead, they are being used for marketing and self-promotion. Others argue that social networking sites are fulfilling their potential by providing a way for people to connect and share information.

Conclusion

Overall, it is evident that people’s expectations of social networking sites (SNSs) often do not match up with the reality of the experience. This can be due to a number of factors, such as the site not living up to its hype, people not using the site in the way they had intended, or the site simply not being what the user thought it would be. 

Regardless of the reason, it is important to be aware of these differences so that people are not left feeling disappointed after joining an SNS. It is important to remember that it’s not real life, and we should never compare our lives to those we see online.

If we’re careful and mindful of the effects social media can have on us, we can enjoy all the benefits it has to offer while avoiding any negative consequences.

The truth is that social networking sites are evolving and changing all the time. They are not static, and their potential is constantly being explored. It is up to us to decide how we want to use them and what we want to get out of them.