This list is not going to include the big names like Facebook and Twitter, because you obviously know about those. I want to focus on some lesser known social media platforms to throw you an escape rope out of those horrible websites which harvest and sell your information and use the money to manipulate our global politics and work against our own interests. These are in no particular order, though if I had to pick a favorite platform, I would go with Minds.
10. Sociall
Sociall is a fantastic option if you want a lightweight Facebook without all of the frills of Facebook, or the unnecessary politics and riff raff associated with the platform. Sociall is super easy to use, but it honestly seems a little boring compared to some of the other options on the list, with nothing really innovative or unique about it. The biggest redeeming factor is that it's completely decentralized and blockchain based, which is a huge game changer. Social media controlled by all of us. Definitely a neat concept, but they will have to add some features before the masses take the bait.
9. Slack
Slack is a lot like Discord, which we'll get to later. I think Slack has a cleaner, and more aesthetically pleasing platform than Discord, but Discord has more options. Slack is more geared towards businesses, startups, and tech folks who want to stay in touch regarding projects, whereas Discord is more for gamers. Slack has direct messages, and you can create multiple channels to keep every conversation files away exactly where it should be. Ultimately, it's a chatroom meant to replace all of the features of email, so you can view documents and respond instantly. More and more companies are using it every day.
8. FamilyWall
Are you one of the bajillion people using Facebook to stay in touch with family? Then this is the app for you, and your family. You invite your family to the app, and the family shares a feed that you can post family photos, or information regarding upcoming family events. Speaking of which, you have a calendar which everyone can contribute to, and see upcoming get togethers, reunions, etc. You can even sync the calendar with google calendars. You can also use it as a texting service, or keep track of where your family is(this of course opens privacy concerns, but hey, at least it isn't Facebook). Biggest con is that a lot of features require a monthly subscription.
MeWe UX 12.2018
7. Mewe
Mewe is great because it's privacy based social media. The entire concept was spawned out of a distaste for how social media platforms have handled our data over the years, and the platform wants to give us a way out of the norm. Just because all of the social media platforms have been harvesting and selling our data has been the norm, doesn't mean it's normal. It comes with no targeted ads, no timeline manipulation, and best of all, as far as I can tell, there is no censorship(barring criminal behavior). The platform is a little wonky but easy to get used to and has most of the features Facebook has. You can add me here. This is probably the easiest site to migrate from facebook to.
6. Diaspora
What makes Diaspora unique is that it's controlled by anyone and everyone. You can just download their software and set up a server, making it decentralized. You can choose which pod you want your personal info to go in, and interact with anyone on the site. When you set up a server, you are part of what makes the site work. It isn't set up by some massive company with enormous serving power, it's just people like you, using whatever old equipment they have laying around(this of course can make the site slow, depending on where it's being served from). The platform after setup is really easy to use and intuitive.
5. Mastodon
Mastodon is basically Twitter, but uncensored and geared towards techies. It's community owned and has zero ads, which is a huge plus for those of us who are just sick of looking at them. Twitter was good at one time, but now it's overrun with bots, celebrities, and even politicians weighing in on every topic with their two cents. This platform gets you away from all that, with its quaint 4.4M members. It even has a cool video to explain what it's all about.
4. Discord
I told you we'd get back to Discord. Discord is a lot like Slack in a lot of ways, but gives you unlimited integrations, the power of bots, and voice channels so that you can talk to friends while you game. Most of you know what discord is, so I'm not going to go too far into it, but a lot of people still haven't heard of it, even though it's gaining huge traction on reddit. A lot of people are starting to use it as a way to stay in constant contact with their close friends, rather than using Facebook.
3. Steemit
Way too many people haven't heard of this, and it's really unfortunate because this site is cool as fuck. You write blogs, and get paid in crypto. It's sort of like wordpress, but if wordpress actually paid you, and was more geared towards the social media aspect. I see it as a cross between wordpress and facebook, honestly. You're of course paid in crypto called STEEM, because almost any decentralized website is going to double down and use a decentralized currency. Feel free to add me on the platform if you'd like, though I haven't been too active in a few years.
2. NextDoor
Nextdoor is a social media platform dedicated to your specific neighborhood. The way it works is, you put in your address and it shows you who in your area is on the app. It's a great way to meet neighbors, buy or sell items to locals, or keep tabs on crime and events in your neighborhood. Though, of course depending on your neighborhood, the company could be a mixed bag. The biggest problem with the site is their moderators, who are just anyone basically. So whatever biases they carry, the neighborhood generally does too, due to opposing opinions being banned frequently by power hungry moderators. But the idea behind the app makes it special, as well as its ease of use.
1. Minds
I cannot say enough good things about this platform. Minds is a crypto based social media platform, meaning everything you do, from "liking," a comment, to shitposting is compensated. They pay you for everything. The best part is, the site is still in its infancy and still has a ton of room to grow, so early comers could get in on the ground floor of this before it really takes off like steemit did. It has nearly all of the features facebook has, and the messenger app is built in. It's really good for artists, authors, and anyone selling a product as a single token gets you a thousand guaranteed views. A token is roughly 14 cents, and you can earn them by posting. So shitpost away and stock up on their crypto, and when you have something you want the masses to see, use that crypto to give it a hefty boost to the rest of the site. This is where I'm most active, and I have completely disabled Facebook in my phone in favor of this app. Hope to see you guys there!