The future of social is Bringing People Together. In the early days of social media, the tools were basic and the creators were hopeful that a more interconnected world would lead to a better society. However, as social media platforms became dominated by likes and follows, our perception of ourselves became distorted. Instead of sharing our true selves, we began to engage in social competitions. In response to this, Facebook is shifting its focus towards more private communications. Private conversations allow people to express their true selves and share more authentically than they do on their public feeds.

The future of social is Bringing People Together. In the early days of social media, the tools were basic and the creators were hopeful that a more interconnected world would lead to a better society. However, as social media platforms became dominated by likes and follows, our perception of ourselves became distorted. Instead of sharing our true selves, we began to engage in social competitions. In response to this, Facebook is shifting its focus towards more private communications. Private conversations allow people to express their true selves and share more authentically than they do on their public feeds.

The main revenue driver for top social companies today is advertising, which relies on the amount of time users spend on the app. However, revenue models based on time spent are zero-sum business models. Instead of focusing on media consumption, the next wave of social products will be centered around experiences. These experiences could be going to a concert together, having dinner, or simply hanging out at someone's apartment. These real-life interactions and moments create lasting memories and foster genuine connections. In a world where connection and inclusion are essential, prioritizing experiences over media consumption is a positive shift.

Another area that is being reimagined is the reading experience. "Designing a better reading experience with Matter" addresses the various aspects of reading online. The act of reading involves deciding what to read, the actual reading process, and what we do with the knowledge gained afterward. The first generation of read-it-later apps lacked intelligent features such as prioritization, resurfacing, and decay. To address this, Matter, a read-it-later app, was developed with the goal of improving the reading experience.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, emphasizes the importance of focusing on needs that won't change. In the context of reading, the demand for faster delivery of content will always exist. As the supply of great content continues to increase, attention becomes scarce. Therefore, making informed decisions about what to read becomes even more crucial. Trust plays a significant role in this decision-making process, and people tend to trust other people. Matter recognizes this and elevates writers as first-class citizens in their system. Good curation is valuable in finding hidden gems that are often overlooked by engagement-based algorithms.

While there is a strong bias towards consuming new content, it is important to acknowledge that the majority of the best content ever produced was not created in the past week. Matter aims to balance the bias towards new content and provide a platform for discovering timeless and overlooked pieces. The design space for improving the reading experience is vast and exciting. Matter is exploring innovative features such as audio highlights, which allow users to highlight sections while listening to content. Additionally, the app incorporates minimaps, inspired by video games and code editors, to enhance navigation and scanning.

Matter recognizes that its core users are active readers who are intentional about what they read and curate their information diets. These readers often have favorite writers and subscribe to newsletters or frequent obscure blogs. The goal of Matter is to increase the return on investment of reading, providing users with more insight, knowledge, and thrill. By incorporating sophisticated techniques like natural language processing and computer vision, Matter aims to enhance the user experience and accuracy of content parsing.

In conclusion, the future of social and reading experiences is focused on bringing people together and designing better platforms. Prioritizing real-life experiences over media consumption in social interactions fosters genuine connections and inclusivity. Improving the reading experience involves intelligent features, trust in curation, and a balance between new and timeless content. To make the most out of these advancements, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Prioritize quality over quantity: Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media or reading random articles, focus on engaging with meaningful experiences and high-quality content.

2. Curate your information diet: Be intentional about what you read and follow. Subscribe to newsletters, explore niche blogs, and trust recommendations from trusted sources or curators like Matter.

3. Embrace new reading technologies: Explore innovative features like audio highlights and minimaps to enhance your reading experience. Embrace advancements in technology and leverage them to extract more value from your reading time.

By embracing these recommendations and the evolving social and reading landscape, we can foster genuine connections, expand our knowledge, and make the most out of our digital experiences.