What Counts as Social Media in 2025? It’s Way Weirder Than You Think
Ever just stop and think about what “social media” even means anymore? It feels like one of those words we all use. But we don’t really know what it means. It used to be so simple wasn’t it.
You had Facebook. You poked people. You wrote on their wall and that was pretty much it. Now, it’s a whole different game.
The lines are so blurry now. Is the comments section on a news site social media? What about the group chat where you plan game nights? It’s a bit of a mess.
And by 2025 that mess is only going to get messier which is why we need to talk about it.
The Old-School Definition is Basically Toast
Remember the classic idea of social media? It was a platform where you created a public profile. Then you added “friends” or “followers.”
You’d share updates about your life. Little text posts, maybe a photo album from a holiday. That was the whole deal.
That definition is, to put it mildly, out of date. It is a bit like describing a modern car as a horseless carriage.
The old model was all about you, the individual, broadcasting your life outwards. Like a personal radio station.
But things have changed. A lot. The new definition has less to do with a personal profile. It’s more about what you can do there.
So, What Actually Counts as Social Media Now?
The thing that ties everything together now isn’t the profile, it’s the interaction. It is the community part that really matters.
If a digital space lets people create and share things and talk to each other around those things, well, it’s probably social media.
It’s a very loose definition, I know. But the internet is a very loose place these days. So let’s break it down into a few buckets.
The Big Obvious Ones (But With a Twist)
You know these names. They are what most people think of when they hear the term. They’re still the heavy hitters for sure.
Instagram / Facebook / Threads: The Meta empire. They’re still here, still huge. But they’re becoming more about commerce and entertainment feeds than just friends. They want you to shop and watch Reels.
TikTok: The king of short-form video. It’s built entirely around a shared content feed, not your personal network. The algorithm is the main social connector.
X (The thing we still call Twitter): A real-time public conversation. It’s less about personal friends and more about broadcasting thoughts to the world and reacting.
LinkedIn: The “professional” social network. You connect, share work updates, and write articles. It totally counts, even if it feels like a digital office party.
The “Is It… Or Isn’t It?” Crew
This is where things get interesting. These platforms are huge but people argue about what they are. Normally, they serve more than one purpose.
YouTube: Is it a video streaming site or social media? The answer is both. The videos are the content, and the comments section, community tabs, and live chats are the social layer. It’s a massive social machine.
Reddit & Discord: These are community-first platforms. You don’t follow people as much as you join groups (subreddits or servers) based on interests. Your identity is secondary to the community’s topic.
Pinterest: It looks like a visual search engine or a mood board. But every pin can be commented on, and you can share boards with others. It’s social discovery, driven by images.
WhatsApp / Telegram / Messenger: Wait, messaging apps? Yes. Especially group chats. A big group chat is a mini-social network. You share media, links, have running conversations. It’s a private, small-scale social space.
The Stuff You Never Thought About
Okay, get ready. The definition of social media is expanding to places you probably visit without ever thinking of them as “social.”
Gaming Platforms: Think about Fortnite or Roblox. They aren’t just games. They are social hubs where millions hang out, attend virtual concerts, and just exist together. The game is the backdrop for the social life.
Fitness Apps: Strava is a perfect example. You log a run or a bike ride. Your friends give you “kudos” (which are basically likes) and leave comments. There are group challenges. It’s Facebook for athletes.
Collaborative Work Tools: Something like Slack or even Figma. You’re in channels, you’re using emojis to react to ideas, you’re having threaded conversations. It’s social interaction, just focused on getting a project done. The social part is the whole point.
Music Streaming Apps: Spotify has features like Blend, which makes a shared playlist with a friend. You can see what your friends are listening to. It’s a light social layer on top of the music.
The Common Thread: It’s All About Connection (Kinda)
See the pattern here? It is the human-to-human connection that makes something social media. The technology itself is less important.
It doesn’t matter if you’re sharing a photo, a line of code, or your 5k run time.
If you can post it, and other people can see it and react to it or talk about it with you, you’re on social media.
The platform is just the room where the conversation is happening. And in 2025, those rooms look very different. Some look like games, some look like spreadsheets.
Why Does Any of This Even Matter?
Okay, so the definition is getting weird. Who cares? Well, you probably should.
For marketers or business owners, it means your audience might not be where you think they are. They might be in a Discord server for a hobby, not scrolling Facebook.
For the rest of us, it changes how we see our screen time. That hour you spent “playing” a game might have been an hour of socializing.
That time you spent in a work channel was also a form of social interaction. It helps us understand our digital lives better.
It’s about knowing where communities form. And today, they can form absolutely anywhere there’s a comment box and a share button. It’s something to keep in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the simplest definition of social media in 2025?
It’s any website or app that lets users create or share stuff and interact with other users around that stuff. The focus is on community interaction, not just a personal profile.
Is YouTube considered social media?
Yes, absolutely. While its main function is video hosting, the entire ecosystem of comments, likes, subscriptions, live chats, and community posts makes it one of the largest social platforms in the world.
Do messaging apps like WhatsApp count as social media?
Generally, yes, especially in the context of group chats. A large group chat functions as a small, private social network where a community shares media and has ongoing conversations.
What’s the difference between social media and social networking?
The terms are often used together. Social networking is more about building a network of connections (like on LinkedIn). Social media is broader and includes sharing any kind of media (videos on TikTok, photos on Instagram) to a community, not just your direct connections.
Is a blog with a comments section social media?
It has social elements! The blog post is the content, and the comments are the interaction. While a single blog might not be a “social media platform,” it uses the same mechanics of user-generated content and community discussion.
Key Takeaways
The old definition of social media (profile + friends list) is outdated.
The new definition is all about interaction, content sharing, and community. If a platform has those things, it’s social media.
Social media is hiding in plain sight: in games, work apps, and even fitness trackers.
The key question to ask is: “Can people create, share, and talk to each other here?” If yes, you’ve found social media.
Understanding this wider definition helps you find communities in new and unexpected digital spaces.
