Fennessey challenged herself and her team to build a social media platform that could be a force for good.The next phase of social media is set to be different.
Social media platforms are deeply embedded in our day-to-day lives. And they serve a multitude of purposes, providing connection with loved ones, platforms for collective action, access to lifesaving and life-changing information, and so much more.
But it’s generally accepted that our highly filtered, finely curated feeds are also masking a much darker reality: we’re becoming more isolated, more judgmental and less hopeful.
It’s this cycle of negativity, perpetuated by algorithms designed – for better or for worse – to keep us scrolling, that WeAre8 aims to circumvent, harnessing the power of positivity and reimagining social for good.
Keep on scrollin’, scrollin’, scrollin’
But first, what’s all this negativity been doing to our brains? Let us count the ways.
“We are hardwired to be on alert for negative things in order to keep ourselves safe and away from danger,” clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack says.
When an algorithm is doing that job for us, everything from our body image to our sleep and relationships can suffer. Anxiety and feelings of inadequacy and isolation go through the roof, too.
Add to that the fact that we’re enduring once-in-a-generation phenomena – from floods to pandemics – what feels like every other day, and the picture of how we got here comes into focus.
Looking on the bright side
Sue Fennessey – founder of WeAre8
WeAre8 founder Sue Fennessey says: “Media used to be social.” She’s reminiscing about the days when entire families and groups of friends would gather around the TV or radio and collectively enjoy a curated and finite amount of content. “And then social media came along and made it really isolating and lonely.”
Having spent years tracking and analysing advertising spend on social media platforms around the world, Fennessey is cognisant of the ways they can shape our experiences of intersecting economic, climate and mental health crises.
But as the founder of one, she completely understands where people are coming from when they question if we need more social media in our lives.
“I really understand. And I agree. I feel how you’re feeling.”
It’s why Fennessey challenged herself and her team to build a social media platform that could be a force for good, not evil.
One of its defining features is that it’s designed to discourage doomscrolling. The top eight minutes of the feed are hand-curated to highlight posts from verified sources, and citizens – that’s users of the platform – are actively encouraged to move off-platform to engage with enriching content and journalism elsewhere.
On top of that, there’s a zero-tolerance policy for threats and hate speech, with human moderators working alongside sophisticated artificial intelligence to keep the positivity flowing. Fennessey and her team don’t hide behind the free-speech defence that other social platforms deploy when they’re avoiding taking ownership of the negativity they actively perpetuate.
“It’s much easier for them to switch off hate than you imagine,” she says.
There’s also a friends-only feed coming soon and a reimagined ad model that allows users to opt in – and WeAre8 makes it worth their while, putting 50% of its advertising revenue into the pockets of those who do, while sharing a further 5% with charity and climate solutions and another 5% with creators.
“You could still stay on the other platforms. We just think you’re going to feel better here. You’re going to really reconnect with your friends. You’re going to feel safer. You’re going to feel more loved. And if you want to watch a couple of ads, you can get some money in your pocket, too.”
The power of positivity
But should we be on social media at all?
McCormack says we’d almost certainly benefit from less time on social media or even opting out altogether, but she’s also conscious that it’s probably not realistic to expect the almost 3bn active monthly users of Facebook, and those on other social media platforms, to simply log off en masse.
“With more positive interactions on our social media, then we have at least part of a chance to move forward,” she says. “And if those positive sites became popular, then perhaps some of the other social media would start making some changes.”
The great thing about positivity is that it doesn’t really matter where it comes from – all we have to do is look for it.
“If we surround ourselves with positives, then we have a greater opportunity for growth, both in our interactions with others and physiologically … ” McCormack says. “We increase the endorphins in our body and serotonin and all these great chemicals that help us to feel good. That leads to a more empowering and enriching life for all of us.”
And that’s what Fennessey wants.
“We’ve designed it to make you feel awesome, feel your power to change the world, to take collective action … It’s really that simple.”
Join a more mindful social media community at WeAre8.com.
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