The question of whether we need a new social media platform is a controversial one. After all, don’t we have ten million social media platforms already? Yes, we do, but then again no. A lot of them have already failed. Some had their day, but have fallen by the wayside. And with the way things are looking at Twitter, it’ll never be the same again. By the way, I’ve written about Twitter recently: Big Shakeup at Twitter: How Will Changes Affect You?

We do need something new

Do you remember that Huey Lewis and the News song I Want a New Drug? (Especially the part about the new drug not making him nervous.) That’s what I want, too. And a lot of others do as well. And not just because newness is so popular. We want a hybrid of what’s gone before, plus some other benefits as well. Here are a few reasons we need a new social media platform.

Indexed by Google

Yes, we don’t want a platform that’s walled off so we can’t see what’s inside at all. We want indexing by Google (and we want it now!). Seriously. How about something that lures or coaxes us inside? And isn’t so secretive that we can’t tell what’s happening at all! In other words, a focus on the positive–more a carrot over a stick approach.

Do We Really Need a New Social Media Platform? | Image by ThePixelman from Pixabay

Curated for hate speech

We need less hate speech, including a list of words that can be filtered out by users (just like in Twitter–imagine that!). So we’d need real people to catch some of the hate speech and spam that we’ve been getting all along. For that, we might need to be able to reach customer service if we need help. So yes, we need customer service–and not just for those who have paid ads!

Some could be permanently banned

That’s right. This has been a subject of controversy for some time. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to return. If they adamantly refuse to change, let them go. That is, ban them. Kick them off. Hate speech shouldn’t masquerade as freedom of speech.

Flexibility in design

The new social media platform would need flexibility. That means hiring good engineers and treating them well. No ultimatums saying things like they have to sign up to be “hardcore employees.” You know who I’m talking about, right?

If not now, when?

Have you noticed a big change in Twitter users’ profiles, with many of them listing other social media platforms where they’ll be in case of the apocalypse? Because I have. Mastodon, Hive Social, and Post are just three of those covered in this article from NPR: Looking to Leaving Twitter? Here are the social networks seeing new users right now.

What will you do?

Will you stay or will you go? Or will you stay and hedge your bets? If you do start a new account, will you change your bio to reflect what you’ll do?

Here’s something that bothers me about Boomers, even though I am one. I’m always hearing that Gen-Xers and Millennials are on their phones all the time. It’s rude, say the Boomers. They don’t care for it. But here’s the thing: you can be engaged, share your ideas, and be on your phone, sharing. By the way, if you’re a Millennial and you need to know how to terrify your friends, there’s this: Yes, Why Not Call Your Friends on the Telephone? After all, it’s fun to scare your friends, especially around Halloween.

Why this particular bee in this particular bonnet?

Recently, on vacation, another Boomer was complaining about the use of smart phones. “Are you working?” she’d ask me while I checked my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. “No” I answered. “Do I need to be working to check my phone?” She went on to say that she thought it was rude. By the way, this is the same person with the outmoded ideas such as eggs being bad for your cholesterol. If you get in the Wayback Machine, that was back in 1968, when the American Heart Association singled out eggs (here’s the scientific study behind that factoid, by the way). Since about 1999, the general consensus is that consuming eggs has no noticeable effect on one’s cholesterol or chances of developing heart disease. If this person had been reading newer books and articles, and not simply relying on ancient textbooks, she might have known that. But I digress.

It’s a different kind of sharing

When I’m with younger friends, they share all kinds of things: pictures, stories, news articles. My nieces and nephews share funny memes that they just discovered on Pinterest. A picture of their cat acting goofy. Articles that they discovered that I might like. Photos of babies, memes, and Facebook pages fly back and forth between phones. They share Amazon wish lists. They’re signing up for classes using QR codes. On their phones. And they’re taking embarrassing photos, which they then use for sharing or blackmailing purposes.

Who Shares More? Millennials versus Baby Boomers | Image by David from Pixabay

They’re laughing and excited

While the Boomers are sneering and saying that kind of sharing “doesn’t count,” the Millennials continue to share. Yes, it’s social media, and it’s online. Yes, sometimes there are “in jokes.” But it’s still sharing. Oh, and did I mention all the selfies? There are about a million of those. By the way, I’ve written about Boomers before. You might like: The Best Reasons Baby Boomers Must Start Using Social Media. And it’s not that Boomers don’t share. We/they share plenty of things, but they’re not online so much.

Boomers need to get over themselves

This kind of sharing is here to stay. Nobody is putting down their phones. People will continue using their devices. It’s fun and nobody’s being hurt. Well, it’s true that too much blue light at night can disturb your sleep. But seriously. Come on!

In the Millennials versus Boomers world, where do you fit?

What kind of sharing do you like? Are you with the Boomers here, or are you more like the Millennials? Let me know!