Main image courtesy of Freedom.
Finite social networks
The concept of “less is more” is being channeled in social networks.
- Published Date
- Nov 23, 2021
Social media has a bad rap—from promoting addictive behaviors and depriving sleep to causing anxiety and depression. And yet globally, there are billions of monthly active users on Facebook and Instagram in 2021, Twitter has over 300 million, and in September 2021, TikTok reported 1 billion monthly active users.
A number of apps such as Social Fever, Offtime, and Freedom aim to pry eyeballs away from social media by limiting usage. But what if social platforms have fewer and more curated posts instead? This is where Minus comes in—a platform created by Ben Grosser to challenge existing social network models—Minus only allows for 100 posts for life. Self-dubbed as a “finite social network,” the platform aims to raise the quality of content through limitations.
Similarly, Thursday is a dating app that is only live on the named day. Launched in May 2021, the company came about because of online dating fatigue. The app hopes to boost matches, conversations and dating opportunities by limiting its usage to one day a week. Prior to launch, over 100,000 curious singles had already signed up.
Companies are seeking to cut through the noise and endless online content by installing restrictive parameters that prompts new behaviors, and thereby promoting a healthier and mindful approach to the future of social networking.
