Social media, as we know it, might be headed for a big change. In the world of texts, photos and videos, an old trick is making a silent, but stomping comeback – audio chat rooms.

The trend started off with a buzzing audio only social networking platform called Clubhouse where anyone can host their own shows while others join in to start a conversation or simply just listen in. The platform has been getting a lot of attention lately in Silicon Valley and has had millions of downloads despite being currently only on iOS and invite-only.

What makes Clubhouse a popular choice with users worldwide is the flexibility to just step in and out of a live call with random strangers, celebrities, icons and stars as well as the ability to garner exposure by creating and hosting their own live shows.

It's a world of exclusivity and flexibility that don't require scrolling, interacting and paying attention to visual cues and offers a heightened degree of exposure to an exclusive audience.

The idea of Clubhouse has gotten so popular that it has prompted social media giants like Facebook and Twitter to step in and launch their own competing products. Facebook is said to be working on one while Twitter has already launched its own, called Spaces.

Twitter announced on Wednesday that it is opening up Spaces to users. Spaces will allow users to join in talk in 'spaces' and soon, start their own 'spaces' as well.

The move by Facebook and Twitter to copy and release their own version of a competitor's product is hardly new. If records have shown anything, it's that products that generate hype enough to be adopted by giants usually catch on and stay on to live. In the past, Facebook has adopted Snapchat's features to create its own 'stories' feature that has, over the years, became immensely popular.

All these hype about the audio only social media has not only generated buzz, but also attracted security and privacy concerns from regulators. Clubhouse has been accused of breaching privacy and of allowing unmonitored, unfiltered content to pass through in the form of live audio broadcast. The company has said that it is reviewing the allegations and concerns and will soon address them in a future update.

Despite concerns, the buzz is all too loud to ignore and as Facebook and Twitter boards the hype train, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for social media.