Social media in the past years has greatly changed in terms of what we see on our feeds. Popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (pre-Elon), and Instagram, amassed widespread appeal on the promise of connecting both friends and strangers. Today, however, that promise has taken a backseat where we see intrusive ads and unwanted recommendations before getting to our friend’s latest updates—that is, on top of the widely accepted reality that our data is quietly being sold for profit.
Friendster, a social media pioneer that predated the many platforms we use today, had hundreds of millions of users in its heyday before ultimately bowing out to the industry giant that is Facebook.
More than a decade after its shutdown, Friendster has just made a comeback, and it’s promising a return-to-roots approach to social connection.
