The Next Big Thing: Planning the future of social media
Competition in collaboration with Swinburne University of Technology Australia. Open to Year 10β13 students. Get ready to pitch your own new social media platform concept for a chance to win up to RM500 cash prizes.
Registration Deadline: 27 March 2026.
The Rise of Social Media
Social media has become the dominant force in the media landscape in the 2020s. Platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok have revolutionised the way we connect, socialize and work. At the same time the prominence of social media has led to concerns over addiction, privacy and authenticity.
An evolving space
We tend to think of the social platform we prefer to be the pinnacle of media evolution. However, the mediascape is littered with dead and dying platforms:
- Friendster
- MySpace
- Google +
- Vine
- Bebo
Each had large user bases and both owners and users thought they would last forever. The same willΒ happen to Snapchat, X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Case Study: The Rise and Fall of Myspace
MySpace was once the most popular social network, boasting over 250 million users at its peak. However, the emergence of Facebook posed a significant challenge.
MySpace’s downfall can be attributed to its inability to innovate and adapt to emerging trends. Instead of focusing on a few key features, MySpace attempted to create an overwhelming number of products, many of which were buggy and dysfunctional.
This confused users and alienated them, especially when compared to Facebook’s streamlined progress. News Corp’s old-school thinking and lack of agility hindered MySpace’s ability to evolve with the changing social landscape.
Ongoing legal disputes and privacy concerns further weakened MySpace’s position. As users migrated to Facebook, MySpace experienced a decline in user engagement and revenue, ultimately leading to its demise.
So What Comes Next?
The next big thing is likely to come from a start-up rather than an established player, because startups have less to lose.
It will have to leverage the most popular features established platforms, while delivering something that is fresh and exciting.
It will also have to manage issues of privacy and accountability that have been the undoing of previous social networking platforms.
And it will have to generate revenue. Lots of it. Will you be the future CEO?
Todayβs Goal: Pitching the Next Big Thing
- In your groups, come up with a proposal for the next step in the evolution of social media. You will need to decide on:
- The platformβs USP (Unique Selling Point)
- How you will generate income
- How you will handle issues like privacy and censorship
- A name for your new service.
- At the end of the session each team will pitch their idea.
Some Ideas to Guide Your Planning
- What does it do well that current platforms do poorly?
- Is it video or image based?
- Long form or short form content?
- Is content permanent or transitory?
- How do users find each other?
- Do you rely on advertising or sponsorships.
- How much control will advertisers have over content.
- Will you sell user data?
- Will you offer subscriptions?
- Will you have a tiered revenue structure?
- How much control will users have over their info?
- Will info be sold to 3rd parties?
- Will any form of content be banned?
- How will you decide what is and isnβt allowed?
- Does it appeal to a broad age group or a narrow one?
- Could it be misinterpreted or parodied.
- Does it mean something different in another language?
- Has it already been taken?
Register Below & Compete!
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Why study at Swinburne?
With over 115 years of history, Swinburne University of Technology is known for its strong commitment to industry collaboration and innovation. This dedication has earned Swinburne recognition as the #1 university in Victoria for graduate employment and a place among the worldβs top 300 universities.
As a progressive institution at the forefront of technology and industry-integrated learning, Swinburne empowers students to become the next generation of change-makers and future thinkers.
