Social-media companies are finally asking some premium users to pay up. Why have new subscription-based models suddenly become so popular for social media apps? One needs only to follow the money. During the past year, a weaker economy has shrunk advertisers budgets. In addition, new privacy initiatives have made existing ads less lucrative. This has left social media firms desperately seeking new revenue sources.

What do you think are the factors that have contributed to the decline in revenue growth among social media platforms in the last year or two? Why are many social media platforms now introducing subscription fees? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the subscription models for social media companies? What do you think the effects of the subscription-based pricing models will be on the long-term success of social media industry players like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter?