We love social networks but we hate their algorithms. Maybe Apple can do something about it

I guess I’m not the only one who says I have a love-hate relationship with social media. If I hadn’t had to use them for work, I would have already tried to get rid of them, because their algorithms they turned the whole world into drug addicts almost without us realizing it. I do not say it, the reports of these same networks say it. We consult Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook compulsively or even unconsciously. And that’s a problem.

Let’s dream of a healthy social network, because we can and because it is possible

Apple has tried to have its own social network in the past focusing on music. Su Ping was launched in 2010 as an interesting part of iTunes but ended up failing. Now the company has learned to use Twitter or Instagram well as social accounts, but maybe Apple’s philosophy can claim a healthier social network. Divaguemos.

Apple itself has implemented measures in iOS so that we self-regulate the time we spend on these networks with Time of Use. The effort is there, but in the end it is our will that really counts. And no matter how hard we try, no matter how aware we are that algorithms are trying to consume our time, we keep accessing these social networks too much.

Imagine that Apple wants to get to the heart of the matter with its own social network, wanting to show that Another world is possible. How could this network be, how would it seek to go against the tide? I’m thinking of several features.

• You can post content in (short) text format with links, images or videos.
• The Web it would be temporary. Like Instagram Stories, everything would have an expiration date. A day, a week… maybe we could choose it ourselves, but nothing would be permanent.
• There would be no algorithms. Of any kind. All content would be displayed in chronological order.
• we could have a profile under a nickname, which we can already do in Game Center. In this way we could have a certain level of anonymity, although knowing Apple we would not speak of total anonymity.
• Zero recommendations. no suggestions. We follow who we decide to follow. Place.

• We would have the ability to post content to a public profile or to closed circles of people (“best friends”, “colleagues”, “family”). But I repeat: all in an ephemeral way. Thus, we could share specific content for each group of people.
• There would be no way to use this network with individuals: that’s what iMessage is for. In fact, you might think of a way to integrate this network with iMessage.
• Adult content would not be allowed. For this best OnlyFans.
• The user would decide whether or not they want to allow other people who view their content to save it locally on their devices.
• It would be a universally compatible network. Whether it can be used from iPhone, from Android or from web.
• The network itself should warn you that you have been using it for too long or have impulsively opened it too many times in a certain period of time.

So far, we have described a user-oriented network, not business-oriented, and without any type of monetization. Apple might place occasional low-key advertising as it already does in the App Store, but these would be static advertisements and they would not appear as a result of algorithms

Then this whether we allow corporate accounts in the service (media or companies). Here I would be against it, because it involves applying many more measures to allow permanent content there or to fight misinformation. Unless he found a clever way to do it, he would restrict the use of this network to individual users.

And of course, we would have to find a way to motivate those who already use messaging groups to use the closed groups of this social network. This can be the most complicated and what can lead to this network being more public than not divided into these groups.

Did I just write all of this thinking about something that will probably never come true? Yes, but I insist on dreaming, that it’s free, believing that Apple can contribute its grain of sand and show that a social network can stop being linked to addiction, misinformation and the polarization of opinions. Back to basics: sharing what we do with the people who are dear to us. And that everything we leave on the network disappears so that there is no trace of our activity.

Picture | Nathan Dumlao