Elon Musk’s takeover of X (formerly Twitter) in April 2022 sparked interest in alternative social media platforms. 

One platform gaining attention is Bluesky, which could become the next big player in the social media world.

Bluesky, once a Twitter offshoot, has grown rapidly. It gained 3 million users after X faced a suspension in Brazil, 1.2 million after X announced changes to its block function and another million during the U.S. election period.

Since September, Bluesky’s user base has surged by 66%, increasing from 9 million to 15 million users. 

This mass migration from X to Bluesky has fueled discussions about its potential as a major competitor in the social media landscape.

Where Did Bluesky Come From?

Initially the current platform began as a research initiative of Twitter. With approval from Jack Dorsey, the then CEO, the group behind Bluesky were looking into Dorsey’s interest in a decentralised platform.

The idea was to develop concepts and solutions that would allow a social media platform to operate differently. Without the need for a single overarching company owning it. With the intention being to eventually transform Twitter into this form of function.

However, after the acquisition by Musk, Twitter severed all connections to the project. Thus Bluesky came about, using the team’s research into development. 

What’s Driving Millions of Users to Bluesky?

The obvious answer is many of the actions of X and its current, controversial owner. Outside of the actively political activities of the owner there is the various ongoing design choices for the platform itself.

Going by data we’ve seen, each time a significant update is made to the way the site functions more users are driven away to other platforms.

Pushing users who pay a premium to the forefront of the feed and comment sections, reducing the effectiveness of the block feature, elevating select accounts above others or whitelisting accounts to ensure they are not targeted for removal regardless of their actions. 

What this can ultimately be summarised as is a distaste, an active hatred of an individual or company manipulating a platform for their own goals. 

Forcing accounts/posts/people whose content is not enjoyed by the majority of users upon them. Actively making their social media experience worse.

Users clearly want a social media platform like Bluesky that develops organically. One in which those who rise in notoriety do so because of the consensus of groups, not owners.

Bluesky has options to curate their own space and community where they see content that interests them more than anything else.

Bluesky’s Approach Aligns to a New Social Contract

As stated, Bluesky social has a new approach to social media. Rather than a wholly central organisation, the social media site would be operated by users and communities. Using the provided AT protocol as a foundation.

Which allows for platforms to be created with bespoke features and unique UI design while still having easy integration with other platforms on the protocol. What’s more, individual community groups could form their own ‘micro-sites’ or curated communities within this framework.

Bypassing the traditional usage of a core algorithm that controls the flow of content on a social media website. 

Bluesky is not the only one. Other sites, dubbed under the Fediverse, have shown interest in this idea. Including sites such as Mastodon who also have seen a rise in user numbers and support of the idea of decentralised social media. 

With users being able to use instances to create separate communities operated by the individual, while still accessing the functionality of the greater Mastodon site.

A New Future for Social Media

What began far back in 2009 and 2012 with the likes of OpenMicroBlogging and ActivityPub has grown into a genuine movement of new age service. With the acquisition of Twitter in 2022 the interest in these decentralised platforms has grown massively.

With a variety of new or rising social media platforms breaking into the space with users desperate to find a new platform. 

Unlike prior, similar events however – such as with the mass exodus from Tumblr to Twitter years ago – the migration to Bluesky hasn’t quite been the same.

Or rather, it feels different. The transition over to Bluesky and Mastodon isn’t just finding more of the same but with a vaguely better leadership. 

It’s support for a new formation of how our social media platforms work. Not just in ownership and management but in the mere arrangement of the platform itself.

For more than a decade our social media sites have largely been almost ubiquitous in their function. 

With sites becoming more and more interlinked as time has gone on. Featuring the same general suite of features.

Only time will tell if the shift to Bluesky, and whatever follows it, will truly change this. But, for the first time in a long time, there’s a chance that the social media landscape may seriously shift.

Learn More with Us

For more information on Bluesky and other industry news, visit our blog page. 

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