Features mapping
Different platforms, shared features, shared risks

What counts as “social media”?

When discussing “social media” as a category, it is important to be clear about what types of online spaces this includes, and how different services compare in what they offer, how they work, and the risks they may create.

“Social media” is a broad category, often used to describe a wide range of online spaces, including messaging apps, video-sharing platforms, live-streaming services and discussion forums. These services are typically grouped together because they allow users to create, share and interact with content, as well as with other users.

These online spaces can be understood by looking at three connected elements: the platform itself, the functions it is designed to support, and the features it uses to deliver those functions.

  • Platform: A platform is the online space or service that people use. For example, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are all social media platforms.

  • Function: A function is the main thing a platform is designed to do. For example, the function of a messaging app is to help people send and receive messages.

  • Feature: A feature is a specific tool or part of a platform that helps users do something. For example, direct messaging, comments, likes, video calls, auto-play, infinite scroll and notifications are all features.

Social media platforms are often talked about as separate products. But many are built using a similar set of features. These features can be grouped by the functions they support — such as sharing content, watching videos, or communicating with others. This means that platforms with similar purposes often include similar features, even if they look or feel different to use.

How features shape children’s online risks

Infinite scrolling. Algorithmic recommendations. Short-form video. Private messaging. Livestreams. Likes, follower counts and sharing tools. ‘Friend’ recommendation systems.

These features shape how children behave online – what they watch, who they interact with, how long they stay on the platform, and what they are exposed to.

Infinite feeds and algorithmically driven content recommendations can encourage compulsive use and prolonged exposure to content. Public metrics, such as likes and views, can reinforce social comparison and validation-seeking. Private messaging and ‘quick-add’ features can increase opportunities for unwanted contact or grooming. Livestreaming and anonymous interaction can make potentially harmful content harder to moderate.

The risks children experience online are therefore not just linked to individual platforms, but to the combinations of features those platforms contain - as well as the strength of the protections platforms put around them, such as moderation and age assurance. 

Illustration of the types of risks that different features can facilitate

Attention & addiction risk
These features are designed to maximise engagement and encourage prolonged use through engagement loops, infinite scrolling, dopamine rewards, and algorithmic discovery.
Platform features
Infinite scroll Algorithmic “For You” feeds Autoplay video Push notifications Streaks Short-form content Time-limited “stories”
Social comparison risk
These features encourage comparison, social validation, and identity performance through public metrics, appearance-focused tools, and curated self-presentation.
Platform features
Likes / positive reactions Follower / subscriber counts Photo filters Public engagement metrics Location-sharing Beauty enhancement tools
Contact risk
These features enable direct interactions between other users, including strangers, with potential to facilitate risks such as grooming, harassment and bullying.
Platform features
Public commenting Direct messages Quick add / suggest Disappearing messages Anonymous posting Livestreaming Livestream chat Group chat Shared social spaces Location-sharing End-to-end encrypted messaging
Content exposure risk
These features increase the likelihood of users being exposed to explicit, harmful, or age-inappropriate content, including sexual material, graphic violence, self-harm, and extremist content.
Platform features
User-generated content Public commenting Direct messages Quick add / suggest Disappearing messages Anonymous posting Livestreaming Livestream chat Group chat Shared social spaces AI content generation tools

Social media platforms evolve over time, and copy each others’ successful features

Social media platforms are constantly changing — adding new features, and sometimes new functions, to grow their user base, and keep users engaged.

Successful features are often copied across platforms. For example, Stories began on Snapchat before being adopted by Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Streaks were also popularised by Snapchat and have since appeared on other services. More recently, TikTok’s combination of short-form video, infinite scrolling and algorithmic recommendations has been replicated by platforms such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

The video below illustrates how a number of platforms popular with children in the UK have evolved over time. It is based on publicly available information about platform features, drawing where possible on companies’ own announcements about new features and updates. The timeline is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of May 2026.

Where available, we have included information on when features were introduced, changed or removed. This may include features introduced as part of beta testing, limited trials or phased rollouts.

Timeline of how platforms have evolved over time

2003
year
2003 — 2026 · drag to scrub
Attention & addiction risk
Social comparison risk
Contact risk
Content exposure risk

We have taken care to ensure the information about these features, including their introduction or removal, is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, if you have any corrections or additional information, please contact us.