Prosocial media

Is social media, in its current form, no longer fit for purpose? From toxic discourse to misinformation, from privacy concerns to how online interactions impact in-person connection, consumers are questioning what benefits these platforms bring. Indeed, VML data shows that only 7% of the people surveyed globally say they strongly trust social media platforms to share accurate information, while 67% agree with the statement that “Overall, social media is having a negative impact on society,” a figure that rises to 69% among Gen Z.

Just take how Netflix’s Adolescence, which charted how young people can be lured in by the misogynistic side of social media, captured the global imagination when it premiered in March, with the show still Netflix’s second most-watched show globally in mid-April. Meanwhile, social platforms’ collection of consumer data continues to raise myriad privacy concerns, especially as we head towards the agentic era, as Meredith Whittaker, president of messaging app Signal, pointed out at this year’s SXSW conference.

As disquiet grows, an alternative is emerging as a wave of “pro-social” initiatives from existing and challenger platforms variously aim to bring a less divisive, dopamine-fueled approach to social media; to take privacy more seriously; or to foster more organic IRL connections.

Bluesky – a platform that was originally born out of X (in its former incarnation of Twitter) but is now independent – counted 30 million users as of January, as many flocked to the platform from X. Built around users’ ability to curate and control their own feeds, with strong moderation options and enhanced blocking functionality, Bluesky was described by the New Yorker as “a throwback to a gentler, saner social media experience.” Speaking at this year’s SXSW, Bluesky’s CEO Jay Graber said the platform’s aim is to “build a ‘choose your own adventure’ experience,” noting that the idea is to create a “less toxic” space.

And Neptune, set to launch on IOS at the end of April[EC1] [EC2] 2025, is a short-form video app that describes itself as “the next era of social media – on your terms,” with the goal to “empower you to shape your own creative journey.” This is in contrast, the company says, to how “algorithms and ads” have come to dominate major social media sites. On Neptune, TechCrunch reports, users can hide likes and follower numbers, a move “designed to help users avoid the pressures associated with follower count.”

Another new app, Mozi is bidding to put the ‘social’ back into ‘social network,’ re-centering in-person connection and ditching the endless scroll in favor of nudging users off their phones. To engineer better social connection, Mozi allows users to see which friends are nearby, wherever they are in the world, so they can meet up in real life. At a panel at SXSW 2025, Mozi’s cofounder and industry veteran Ev Williams pointed out that OG platforms were never really designed for connection in the first place. “The social networks…at first weren’t social media, they were just networks,” said Williams.

The move toward more wholesome social also includes a Gen Z-led revival of Tumblr, with this cohort representing 50% of the platform’s active monthly users in 2025 and 60% of its new sign-ups in the same year, The Times reported. Its former head of content Amanda Brennan told The Times that Tumblr provides “a less scary way to explore parts of yourself because you don’t have to attach it to your everyday life.”

Similarly, Pinterest notes that Gen Z is its “fastest-growing user base,” making up 42% of its global users. Pinterest CEO Bill Ready last year told Marketplace that with this demographic in mind, the platform is focusing on “positivity.” “Gen Z actually cites that as [one] of the biggest reasons that they come to Pinterest, is that they see it as an oasis away from the toxicity of much of social media,” said Ready. Its latest initiative sees Pinterest encourage kids to stay focused at school with a pop-up that prompts students to close the app and pause notifications during school hours.

And addressing the data privacy issues surrounding major social platforms, messaging app Signal’s USP is “state-of-the-art, end-to-end” encryption, with the independent, non-profit platform refusing to “collect or store any sensitive information,” Signal says. Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, underlined the app’s purpose in a conversation also at SXSW. “The only way to protect data is not to collect it,” Whittaker said of the app. She also noted how Signal’s encryption differs from that used by the likes of WhatsApp and Apple. “They use a drop of encryption in a lake of technology, whereas our lake is encryption,” she said.

The Intelligence Take

There’s clearly consumer fatigue around the divisive, algorithm-driven mode of discourse that social platforms have fostered – and which has spilled over into real life. That these alternatives are gaining ground indicates that there’s consumer appetite for social media in a more humane form.

Main image courtesy of Mozi