Breaking the Plasticity Barrier of Social Media Apps
Breaking the Plasticity Barrier of Social Media Apps
Introducing micro-social apps
The State of Social Media Today
I grew up in a world where I’ve seen the Internet take off and connect people over long distances. As someone who’s moved between whole countries, multiple times, I've always loved the connection the Internet enables. I've witnessed firsthand how it brings people together, allows us to communicate and share experiences with others all over the world. But over the years, I've also seen the dark, unexpected consequences that this connection has brought – the fakeness, the plasticity, and the way social norms and rules are created on arbitrary metrics and engagements. Rules like who can you follow or not follow, when to message someone back, should I like this post or not. Big tech companies exploit our vulnerabilities to maximize their profits, often bringing out the worst in us.
When I was younger, I never imagined that social media would become such an integral part of my life. I've watched it evolve and expand, and as I matured, I began to recognize the downsides of these platforms. There's a pervasive sense of inauthenticity that has seeped into our interactions, leading to a loss of being true to who we are. The constant pressure to conform to social norms, to like and be liked, has created an environment where we feel compelled to fabricate an idealized version of ourselves. This obsession with appearances has made it difficult to maintain genuine connections, leaving many people feeling isolated and disconnected.
A Desire for Authentic Connections
As a recent college graduate, I found myself searching for ways to maintain the connections I've made over the years. In this quest of sorts for maintaining the similar authentic connections you get when you see your favorite people everyday, I've realized that existing social media platforms fall short. They simply aren't designed to replicate the feeling of true, meaningful interaction. Likes on images, shares on TikToks, only do so much.
So like every technologist at one point, I've turned to app development to explore alternatives. I’ve devoted my time these past few months on building what I like to call micro-social apps – apps and platforms that aren't designed for mass consumption or to connect with as many people as possible. Instead, they do one small thing really well and are intentionally designed to keep your social circle small, fostering connections with people you are comfortable being yourself with. No influencers, no strangers on the internet – just real, authentic connections.
The Key Features
Smaller, focused networks: By limiting the number of connections, micro-social apps allow for more meaningful and authentic interactions. You’re not looking for someone new to connect with, but people you already know and value in your life. With a smaller social circle, you're more likely to engage with the people who truly matter to you, fostering deeper connections and eliminating the need to maintain a facade.
Single-purpose design: Rather than overwhelming users with endless features and content, micro-social apps focus on doing one thing exceptionally well. As you’ll see at the end with some of the apps I’m building, this targeted approach ensures that users can use the app to enhance and engage in meaningful interactions without being bombarded by distractions.
Mindful design: Micro-social apps prioritize user well-being by discouraging excessive screen time and promoting healthy digital habits. The goal of these apps aren’t to get you to spend more time in the digital world but to help us strike a balance between online and offline engagement.
So what’s next?
In a world where the content produced by generative AI is only growing, the craving for authentic experiences and real connections will grow stronger. As we yearn for a return to genuine human interaction, micro-social apps offer a promising solution.
I've been working on two apps that embody this vision: Accomplish and Aux. These two micro-social apps aim to provide authentic, meaningful connections with close friends while minimizing the plasticity that plagues traditional social media platforms.
From just the initial reviews I’ve gotten from those testing the apps, there’s definitely an interest from a lot of peers for these types of apps which promote more authenticity. It's refreshing to see that people are genuinely enjoying and embracing the core values of these micro-social apps. The positive feedback from the beta testers has been both motivating and inspiring. I’m very excited for this future where we all can worry less about how we appear on social media and can leave this plasticity in the past.
As the weeks go by and I continue refining and improving these apps, I look forward to sharing more details about these apps and how they can help usher in a new era of social apps where the emphasis is on genuine, meaningful relationships rather than vanity metrics and superficial engagements.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the development of Accomplish and Aux.
I truly believe that these micro-social apps have the potential to create a more connected, authentic, and fulfilling online experience for all of us.
Until next time,