The Meta Loop

Definition

Meta Loop: when users of a communication-based product or service primarily engage with it to discuss or document the platform itself, rather than its broader intended purpose.

Similar to fourth-wall-breaking, a meta loop is a cycle of recursive usage.

Signs of a Meta Loop:

• Most posts mention the platform’s features, news, or name.
• Content focuses on comparisons to competitors rather than original creations.
• Novelty overshadows practical use.

Joining Bluesky just to talk about Bluesky and how it’s not X, writing notes in Obsidian only about the Obsidian software or plugins, or using Discord primarily to chat about Discord features. These are just some examples.

This self-referential rut is usually a sign that the affected platform may have not yet matured or hit critical mass.

“Retro” website-making services like Neocities, Nekoweb, or Hot Glue aim to recapture the pre-social media internet with custom website creation offerings often associated with the 90s web - but many users’ websites mention the nostalgia factor within the site content itself, thus being caught in the meta loop. If an about section mentions “I found the indie web”, that’s another example. These websites aren’t allowed to stand on their own, rather they tend to deliberately reference the fact that they are made to be nostalgic.

Any platform seeking growth will accept any kind of usage, as long as the active users are there - but most of them want you using their product or service to discuss or document anything other than the platform itself. Even worse - constantly being compared to their biggest competitor and living in its shadow.

The risk of being trapped into the meta loop is you only end up appealing to the early adopter crowd and you never hit the mainstream. No one texts each other about the wonders of SMS technology, it’s just a tool that’s become ubiquitous with how we reach each other. That’s the ideal state for a platform seeking widespread adoption. The alternative is something like the ill-fated Airchat or Blab that were unique and compelling platforms that were too caught up in being used to discuss themselves rather than broader topics.

The existence of topic-based groups on platforms certainly help in preventing this phenomenon. Reddit for instance is made up of specific groups focused on a singular topic via subreddits, relegating any meta loopage to /r/reddit and keeping it out of most other areas of the site.

Self-referential activity isn’t all bad, however, and can even be a sign of platform health. As long as it’s not the majority of the content on your service, discussing the platform itself may be unavoidable and can even be helpful to improve user retention (YouTube creators talking about how to grow on YouTube for example).

For anyone wanting mass adoption for their new social media website or communication app, think about how you avoid being subsumed by the meta loop. Bring things in from the world - whether topic-based or otherwise - and make it a frictionless experience for users to connect with each other based on their interests. A seamless onboarding experience that helps the user jump into the intended path leaves less room for ambiguity and prevents the aimless wander into the meta loop that can easily occur otherwise.

Any successful communication platform melts into the background so users can focus on engaging with their passions, ideas, and communities, rather than the platform itself.