BuzzFeed thinks its new social platform can save social media. Why am I not convinced?

Social media is in a malaise – at least if you believe social media. Instagram and Threads are full of people complaining about the platforms' algorithms, and X... well, it's better not to look if you want to maintain the will to live.

Several platforms have sprung up hoping to offer an alternative. There's open network Bluesky, which is giving old Twitter vibes right down the colour palette and winged logo, and there's anti-AI Cara for artists. Some unexpected players are appearing too. The web design platform Squarespace has launched Cosmos, which it describes as Pinterest for creative inspiration (Pinterest, then).

Now BuzzFeed is joining the party. Yes, that BuzzFeed: the media site responsible for articles like 'Your Soulmate's First Name Initial Can Be Revealed By Choosing Your Favourite Dish From This List' and 'Believe It Or Not, There's A Crumbl Cookie That Perfectly Describes Your Love Life – We'll Tell You What It Is If You Take This Quiz'.

BuzzFeed says it's creating a new "AI-driven platform built for creativity and joy, not manipulation or addiction". Apparently called BF Island, the platform will encourage creators to make authentic content for its own worth, not for clicks or the whims of an algorithm.

Founder and CEO Jonah Peretti announced the plans in a 3,000-word manifesto, in which he defenestrates Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook/Instagram) and ByteDance (TikTok) founder Zhang Yiming for their irresponsible attitudes towards content and for putting curation in the hands of AI.

Jonah says today's social media has become overun by SNARF (stakes, novelty, anger, retention and fear), techniques creators have learned to use to take advantage of algorithms. "If the early internet was serving beer and wine that brought people together, today's internet is dealing crack and fentanyl that tears people apart," he says.

His analysis is spot on. What I'm less convinced about is whether BuzzFeed is going to be the one to fix it. We're told that BuzzFeed Island is "built with user agency, creativity, and joy at its core" to offer an "oasis from algorithm-driven doomscrolling". There will be "quirky, weird, and joyful experiences to make the internet fun again" along with a focus on interactive storytelling, new content formats and "cutting-edge AI tools to power self-expression, connection and creative exploration".

So far, so... vague. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for an alternative social media platform, and it's not even clear yet if BuzzFeed Island will be image/video-based or text-based. But, in true BuzzFeed style, let's just list some of the reasons why BF Island may not be the saviour of the social web.

01) It will be a social media platform run by a media platform

Call me a cynic, but I'm guessing that, like when Elon Musk claimed to have bought Twitter for the good of humanity, BuzzFeed's motivation may not be entirely altruistic. It will be at least partly motivated by a problem all traditional online media is struggling with: social platforms aren't giving us much traffic anymore.

BuzzFeed would have an obvious self-interest in promoting content from its own sites, and from other companies it owns like HuffPost, Tasty and BuzzFeed Studios. Will it really bring back the social part of social media?

02. It sounds like BuzzFeed with more user-generated content

2) Despite its insistence that it definitely does not do clickbait, BuzzFeed became synonymous with viral content and a style of headline writing that makes articles impossible not to click even if you know they're going to waste your time (and yes, we all had to follow its lead).

Want to learn 487 Random Mind-blowing Facts That Will Change Your Life or discover what My Little Pony you are? BuzzFeed is your fix. But many of the contributors who write those BuzzFeed quizzes and lists aren't paid, or not until their post has reached many thousands of views. Has BF realised that going full social media means more free content and less work curating it? In any case, the track record doesn't inspire confidence that it won't design a platform as addictive as the ones we already have.

03. AI-driven?

Have they not clocked that this isn't a selling point? AI features are one of the reasons people have been leaving other platforms. Jonah's manifesto lambasts how TikTok and Instagram have allowed AI to take advantage of our most predictable behaviours to make social media more addictive, but he doesn't give any insight into how BuzzFeed's implementation would be better. And any use of AI is going to make people wonder if their content is being scraped for something else.

04. It might have the same problems as every other platform

There aren't many specifics in the announcement, so it remains to be seen if BuzzFeed will address any of the most common gripes with social media. Will it give users more control over the content they see and show them more content from the people they follow? Will it do a better job of removing bots, spam and fake news? Will it have fewer ads ad and more authentic content?

If you want to be one of the first to find out, you can sign up to request to join the private beta at www.buzzfeed.com/bfisland. In the meantime, I'm off to learn Which Sabrina Carpenter Song Perfectly Fits My Vibe Based On My Fork Preferences (and you thought our headlines were cringe).

For other options, see our pick of the best X alternatives and the best social media platforms for artists.