Social media has evolved over the years, first created as a way to socialise with your friends (RIP MSN) and to post the most emo-core photos on a playground (RIP MySpace) to now teenagers sharing chaotic takes via a selfie camera.
Over the years as new social media sites have emerged, while they all have started off as some cool idea like sending a photo that disappears or being able to endlessly watch videos, some have diverted into copying others purely just to stay relevant.
To celebrate the launch of TikTok Notes, the most underwhelming social media launch to date where it basically ripped off another social media brand. We have decided to officially rank the social media sites based on how original they are.
This list is ranked from least original to most original, exempt from this list are B-List social media sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky.
Our definition of originality here is: is this idea fresh or is it a new take of a current social media platform?
Without further ado, here is the ranking of every social media app based on how original they are.
TikTok Notes
A photo-sharing app that looks EXACTLY like another photo-sharing app? Groundbreaking. TikTok Notes was only launched in Australia last week and it looks just like Pinterest. Punters thought TikTok would launch something in a similar vein to Instagram, or a picture version of its video app, but it just looks like Pinterest.
Originality ranking: Zero image carousels out of 10
Threads
The Zuck launched this nearly a year ago to compete with Twitter/X/Elon Musk’s hobby. While it did garner 30 million users in the first 24 hours of launching, its popularity plummeted. Threads just looks like Twitter with a Meta branding kit applied to it. It also pales in comparison to Twitter and the remaining chaos that ensues there.
Originality ranking: One confusing black and white logo out of 10
This was one of the original social media sites. Similar to MySpace but not really, in the early 2010s we had pokes, posting on timelines and posting albums of a night out at some dingy bar. But something shifted, and the site began to evolve into this sad site of weird videos, Marketplace ads and now you see pages you don’t follow more than your friend’s posts.
Originality ranking: Three Facebook Pokes out of 10
Before it was Meta-fied, Instagram was the place to post the most filtered photos of your breakfast the world had ever seen. But once Zuck and Co got his hands on the photo-sharing app, it slowly morphed into a picture Facebook and began ripping off ideas from Snapchat (hello, Stories) and TikTok (hello, Reels), also got rid of the chronological posting order which I am still furious over.
Originality ranking: Four and a half Valencia filters out of 10
Twitter, now sadly X, was the app to publish what you were doing daily, like going out with your friends, hating the latest episode of your TV show or dumb puns. Twitter maintained its original ideas for years and years. However, once it was bought by Elon Musk, the Tesla boss decided to change it for the sake of changing it.
Originality ranking: Six 140 characters or less out of 10
Tumblr
Tumblr is still standing after all these years but its peak was around 2011 to 2016, a beautiful era where users would pay homage to Dr Martens, John Green quotes and Lana Del Rey. You didn’t have to post pictures, it could be gifs, short videos, quotes, whatever. Regardless, Tumblr had a certain aesthetic and was embraced by stans, and still is to an extent. But, it became a victim of being sold too many times and having too many owners, once new parent company Verizon banned adult content on the site in 2018 it lost its glimmer.
Originality ranking: Six and a half black and white Dr Marten GIFs out of 10
Snapchat
Snapchat was revolutionary, a way to speak to friends through images that could disappear?! This app created the idea of streaks and dog face filters that got everyone obsessed and sent them to their crushes on a night out. Snapchat also invented stories (not Instagram) which changed the game again when getting your crush’s attention. Also, Snap Map (see below) was pre-Find My Friends and still seen as revolutionary. The app is still going strong, sure it might have taken a leaf out of TikTok’s book but ultimately, it’s still doing what it does best: sending time-limited photos to your friends.
Originality ranking: Seven rainbow mouth filters out of 10
TikTok
Vine and Musical.ly helped shape this social media app, the former with inspiration and the latter was TikTok 1.0. Ultimately, it made every one of its competitors shift to a doom scroll video model. It is quite impressive to see how one app can completely shift the game, from a simple idea of endlessly watching videos. I will say one thing, TikTok Now, the rip off to BeReal, was a flop and a half and is still a thing, it even has its own app, huh.
Originality ranking: Eight renegade dances out of 10
This is the social media site to go on once you’ve checked the other ones. This site still goes off for the girlies planning hens and those wanting to fantasise about their dream homes. There is something about Pinterest that hits different. You can do an endless scroll through gorgeous Nordic kitchens, games room set-ups and outfit inspirations. Pinterest never changes who it is, sure it’s gotten a few more ads and videos but it is still the same site it was during its inception and that is why it has been named our most original social media app.
Originality ranking: Ten organised, neutral-toned closets out of 10
Honourable mention
Special mention to MySpace, one of the OGs that gave me my first hit of online dopamine when I saw the new messages and new comments notifications when I logged on. Gone but never forgotten.
Image: Netflix/Gizmodo Australia