Why the Future of Twitter is On the Line

Twitter is still considered to be one of the best social networking apps — or is it? It is still widely used, especially by businesses, the current Presidential nominees, and those who love to live-tweet their reactions to The Bachelor. Depending on who you ask, Twitter might be ranked in the top 10 social media apps, or even the top 5. But despite Twitter’s social media ranking, its stock has dramatically declined in value, and the site isn’t generating enough new users. So what might the future of Twitter look like?

Many investors are speculating over which company might eventually purchase Twitter. Despite user stagnation, the site is still a valuable social tool. There is speculation that Google or Facebook might want Twitter, but this also could be a useful purchase for another company who wants to break into the social media market. Both Google and Facebook have tried to purchase Twitter in the past, but failed. While this shows an interest in Twitter as a social platform, it could also show that they might not have interest in trying again.

Read More: Twitter Accounts to Follow That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

There are a lot of reasons that Twitter has continued to succeed thus far, despite user and stock decline. More than any other social networking site, Twitter emphasizes live updates, and more importantly, conversation. Think of the hash tag, and how it has helped spread awareness of, and support for, social movements. In addition, like Facebook, Twitter has successfully used bots in their app. One of the most famous bots involves the ability to order a pizza by tweeting an emoji. If they follow Facebook’s plan, and incorporate more bots into their app, this could potentially encourage more users to interact with the app and use it complete tasks. Or, it might not. If Facebook has more than 1.5 billion active users, the usage of bots is more likely to be a successful move for them than Twitter.

Twitter’s cofounder, Jack Dorsey, considers the app to be a form of augmented reality in how it focuses on live, supplemented information for a TV program or event. Could this be taken a step further, and utilized as a way to contribute live textual or voice updates in future augmented and virtual reality technology and devices? Dorsey already considers Twitter to be a type of global chat room, and even a way to consume and discuss important news. Regardless, Twitter and Facebook share some overlapping interests, which could indicate that Facebook might once again make a move to buy Twitter in the future. As for what happens then, we’ll have to wait to find out.