What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

Does it feel as if social media is becoming less social? The increasing number of brand ads and paid placement by influencers, as well as polarized public posts on various issues, is forcing more users to opt for private chats and groups, according to a new University of Michigan study. The findings appear in Social Media + Society.

This doesn't mean the death of social media, but a shift toward these private spaces. Pranav Malhotra, assistant professor of communication and media, said what is appealing about these places, especially compared to more public and visible social media spaces, is that algorithms typically do not determine what is shown. Instead, messages and posts show up in chronological order.

"This leads to people feeling like they are in control over the information they see. It also allows people to have ongoing, real-time conversations," said Malhotra, the study's author.

Malhotra conducted interviews with social media users who use bounded social media places like private messaging within platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and Instagram, as well as private groups and servers within platforms like Facebook and Discord.

• Read More