After Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter, many habitual tweeters have expressed their intention to switch to other social platforms. Some blamed their exile for fear of an increase in hate speech and misinformation on the site.But even before the acquisition, social media platforms like Twitter had major problems alienating users .
As a result, some companies are developing new social apps aimed at promoting a positive online environment, and are gaining a significant number of users. But despite their good intentions, these new platforms could simply be interpreted as marshmallows toasting social media’s metaphorical ‘trash can fire’. It can sweeten the experience a bit, but without changes in people’s behavior, these alternatives could melt away. Into the inescapable fire.
Most social platforms allow users to browse through a seemingly endless series of posts sorted by algorithms. Because the software prioritizes content that people keep scrolling through, it encourages posts that elicit “engagement” in the form of likes, shares, or comments. This gives an edge to divisive or outrageous content that gets attention, whether that attention is negative or not. Many of us feel compelled to keep scrolling through our feeds even though we do. But abandoning a platform entirely can cut people off from their friends and even cause anxiety.Apps like Facebook and Twitter continually adjust their moderation policies to foster a more positive online vibe. However, this does not completely eliminate misinformation and hateful content. That’s because the very format of these platforms — algorithm-driven news feeds that reward contributors for stirring up negative sentiment — incentivizes this kind of posting.
Now there are other options. Last year, two of his social apps that eschewed this format became popular. Called Gas and BeReal, these apps do away with certain elements of other social media platforms. Algorithms that spotlight controversial content and endless feeds that encourage people to spend more time on apps. Gas only rewards positive content, while BeReal sets hard limits on how often users can post. We’re looking to improve the digital experience, but that’s not all.
Named after “gassing up,” a slang term for praising someone, Gas attempts to curtail toxic social media discourse by amplifying positivity. App users can earn digital rewards by voting for the best compliments about their friends in anonymous polls. As stated on the website, Gas’ creators Nikita Bier, Isaiah Turner and Dave Schatz “wanted to create a place where they could feel good about themselves.” The app also takes privacy seriously. Direct messages (a popular channel for bullying and harassment) are not allowed. Voting is also anonymous with auto-generated compliments entered (although paid app subscribers can view the initials of selected voters). This blue sky approach seems to be working. The app is only available in 12 states and is only available on the iPhone, but Gas has already been downloaded more than 5 million times since its release last August, and at one point took over the popular social media platform TikTok. It surpassed it to become the #1 download from Apple’s App Store. In mid-January, amidst Gas’ growing popularity, his popular social and messaging platform, Discord, announced that it had purchased the app.
Some people may gravitate toward Gas because they know they only see good things in it, according to David Bickham, a pediatric medical instructor and research scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab. . He said positive social experiences were ” [app] A design that gives users more autonomy and more control over the type of content that is published. But some experts warn that even apps that appear to have good intentions for users, like Gas, can have lasting negative effects. For example, education writer Alison Klein points out in her recent paper: education week According to the article, Gas polls could be used as a popularity contest or a sarcastic jab. For example, praising a talent someone is clearly not good at can lead to bullying and hurt feelings. Last year, social media and technology writer Neil Hughes wrote on his Cyber news: Other critics feel it is not right to use compliments as a form of digital currency or to “dataify” this positive practice. It means that they are doing it,” she says. “As soon as you start digitizing your behavior, you risk losing something,” Gus was the first to respond to inquiries. Scientific American However, it did not provide specific comments at press time.
Rewarding compliments is not the only way the application seeks to promote positivity. For example, her BeReal on the new platform emphasizes authenticity and time limits. We aim for an authentic experience by giving users a random 2-minute window of her once a day to post unfiltered photos. Also, you can only see what other users have posted after you have made your daily posts.
Bickham says this more authentic experience is “very important because it’s kind of a requirement for the type of openness that positive interactions require.” For young people still trying to find their identities, BeReal may offer a safe place to explore. “I think being authentic is the same as being who you really are,” says Bickham. Like Gas, the app’s positive approach seems to have met with some success. In 2020, his BeReal, co-founded by Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, became popular last September and has nearly 50 million downloads worldwide in 2022.
However, BeReal itself is not without controversy. That notification can create pressure to post daily. This pressure to participate in social media communications, which Vanden Abeele et al. call “online vigilance,” can easily cause anxiety in users. Experts have also expressed concern that BeReal’s alerts may come at inappropriate or intrusive times. Additionally, the two-minute time limit adds pressure to posting, especially when users want to see what others have posted. Some of you may already be feeling this kind of pressure. Of the Android smartphone users who downloaded BeReal in August, September and October last year, only 9% of them opened the app. BeReal declined to comment for this story.
These apps alone cannot fully solve the many problems plaguing social media as a whole. But you can improve your online experience by changing the way you use social platforms. Nearly every expert interviewed for this article recommends less passive scrolling and more active connections. “When we think about apps that reduce our well-being, it’s often because they add friction. pulls us away from our best selves, leading to distractions, restlessness, poor concentration, and reduced connection with others,” says mental health and productivity consulting. says Amy Blankson, CEO of the organization Digital Wellness Institute.
“Rather than passively scrolling through a central news feed that might make you jealous of influencers who seem to have it all, message friends on social media, send videos, and It might be better to interact positively and positively overall,” he says. Lisa Walsh, a social psychology and happiness researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, said:
Hughes has previously criticized some aspects of these positivity-focused apps, but their rising popularity represents a shift in attitudes towards social media, at least among younger users. pointing out that it is possible. “Kids seem to know that obsessing over someone else’s highlight his reel is a waste of time and that no one lives a perfect life,” he says. “As a result, they crave more authentic experiences, working together to lift others up instead of making everything about themselves.” That might make us all happier socially. Or, as Hughes says, “Parents may be able to learn something from their children.”
