Do you use mainstream social media? Why/Why not?
I am thinking about adding a social media platform to my portfolio of start up projects. I've got a decent outline and I think it will really make a difference with the whole "feeling lonely while being seconds away from everyone you've ever known."
I am curious to know what social media platforms you use/don't use and why you use them.
Are there any features you would like to see in a social media platform?
As an added bonus, I'll throw in a 50% off promo code for my 3D Printing Service (sklptor.com) to the 10 best answers. Ships to most places in Europe, Asia and North America.
Of the mainstream social media sites, I use Twitter and Facebook.
I came very late to Twitter. I guess I really didn't understand what it was or what I could get out of it. Then I came to realize that you have to really focus your account on a subset of your interests, rather than like or comment on everything that you enjoy. And that's when I realized the true value of Twitter—you can quickly build an audience, and you can interact with people far more influential than you in any given niche and (generally) get a response.
Facebook I mainly just use for keeping in touch with close family and a circle of close friends. I update my profile maybe every 1-2 months just so that people know I'm alive and doing things. My friends and I use Messenger much more extensively. I'd probably ditch Facebook altogether if I wasn't maintaining a couple of business pages on it. I used to use it more, but it became really political and vitriolic around 2015 and I had to mute a lot of people.
The one thing that would make me use a social platform more is if made it easier for me to find and connect with people and communities with similar personal / professional interests. Bonus points if it makes it easier to connect with people locally.
Some features I'd personally find useful:
(Coming up with a list of possible features and doing an informal Typeform or Google Docs survey to focus on the most popular ones might be a good next step!)
I'd definitely be an early adopter of anything that can make it easier to meet more people and make more friendships. I was just talking with a good friend a week ago about how our social circles haven't changed much since we graduated from university several years back.
Hope this helps! Good luck with your project. I'm really interested to see how it develops.
Thanks Dylan!
This is a significantly more comprehensive answer than I was expecting. I relate to a lot of the things you have said (except for twitter.. never really go into twitter. Think that's because my part of the world isn't big on it). You are exactly the type of person I am trying to cater to. Do you mind if I send you a link to test out the app in a week or two? it would be great to have your feedback.
Thanks again,
Absolutely! Glad I could be of some help. I'd be happy to take a look at the app—feel free to send me a link!
not really for personal reasons because its a giant waste of time
I only use social media for professional reasons. In my personal life I completely disconnected from social media. The constant interruptions and overwhelming urge to check Twitter, Facebook, etc wasn't good for my mental health. I found myself with my head buried in my phone instead of being present in the world.
I mostly just call, text, or email the people I want to stay in touch with in my personal life. I turn my phone off at night. Some of my friends have told me I'm the only person they know who calls just to talk. That's actually really sad!
The only exception is Reddit, but I use it for interesting content rather than to stay in touch with people.