I initially didn't understand the point of stories in apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat. I never really used any app with such a feature. Three years ago, my messaging application of choice Signal added a stories feature and their implementation makes me think that an instant messaging app like Signal could actually fill the exact use-cases that social media like Facebook are trying (and failing) to fill.
The appeal is Signal isn’t fueled by ads and capitalism and won’t use everything you share to train their AI like the other social media companies will. It’s also easier for the average Joe to use and has a much higher user base than pixelfed and mastodon. I wish it was not the case but hardly any of my friends use the fediverse but a ton use Signal (mostly for buying drugs though).
Pixelfed and Mastodon don’t fit at all what I want as a “social network”. They’re not built for communication with friends, they’re built for mass media.
I’m not looking for “reach” when I just want to share something with friends.