Going Viral Has Killed the Social Media We Used to Know

Algorithms, engagement, and the phenomenon that changed the way that we view social media

If you are like me and are in your mid-thirties or older, you have lived through the entire social media era. From the early days of instant messenger apps to today’s vertical video landscape. In that time, we have seen many companies come and go (remember MySpace and Vine?), but we have seen the objective of social media posts change drastically. A connection tool has transformed into a meal ticket for many users. The culprit behind this phenomenon? The viral social media post.

The Death of the Chronological News Feed

Years ago, there was something that people did on Facebook that feels somewhat foreign today. Friends would make a general post asking what everyone was doing and if they wanted to meet up. This was possible since social media back then operated on something that is called the chronological feed. Meaning that the latest posts from your friends would show up at the very top of the list. So if your friend was downtown trying out a new sushi restaurant, you would see it shortly after they posted it.