Time for another theorybuilding post with practical applications to society (the last was five posts ago)!
So, last Tuesday, I was bored. Because of that I started thinking about stuff and it eventually culminated in an app idea. I also discussed this app idea with a friend since a back-and-forth enhances the brainstorming process (at least it does for me). Anyway, I’ll narrate the process now.
Human beings seek connection with others. However, the very nature of social interactions has changed a lot in the modern day. Once upon a time, all social interactions were naturally face-to-face. At some point in time, though, we became able to harness the power of invisible waves and such to communicate. It was, in itself, quite a revolutionary thing. But the basics never really changed. It was only with the advent of the internet that the face of communication was transformed to how it is today – basically, people need not be physically together to communicate in interacting socially.
The irony is that with how easily people are able to get in contact with one another in the modern day, the distance between us has instead been infinitely stretched for many. One thing about all the online stuff that goes on on the internet is that it is faceless. It isn’t just the anonymity that is possible there and the bad behaviour we see resulting from this – people say ew stuff without repercussions, blablabla. Instead, it often fails to act sufficiently as a medium for people to vibe and deepen their bonds in general. Think about it. Practically, what function does the internet serve regarding chatting specifically? I thought of a few things off hand. One thing people do is ask others for advice. Another thing people do is ‘while’ away time. Another thing people do is try to find others like them, seeking to gain affirmation from the resulting positive feedback… now, the craziest thing is what people don’t do there – getting to know each other better! Now, failing to do this is like missing the point – for is this not the main, ideal thing that communication seeks to achieve (I mean for relationships specifically)? Consequently, some people might call loneliness today the sleeper endemic.
As social creatures, human beings seek connection, to form bonds with others. Yes, it is true that one can only maintain a genuine interest in so many others… Still, how many people can say confidently that they have it maxed out?
How do people find new connections? Basically, they have to think of some kind of strategy. For some people with a very strong interest in some particular area, it might be easier for them to seek like-minded peers. However, for those with a broad range of interests who simply desire to connect for the sake of it, the available options are much more limited…
The first thing to do was naturally to take a look at what is currently in the market. There is some app, literally called Meetup, which is supposed to help people to meet up. However, the options are so limited there and it somehow feels like a lottery. You’ve got no way of increasing your odds of meeting and clicking with someone. Then there are… those things. Dating apps. Now, I’ve literally never had any conversation with anyone on a dating app before. Still, I’m familiar somewhat with how they work. People appraise you based on your looks and profile along with a whole bunch of others. Then, they simply reply to whoever they feel like replying to while ignoring the rest. In other words, it’s simply based on their mood. I had a taste of this first hand trying out an app which plays around with the idea of three-way conversations. Basically, it posits that two people will feel shy or whatever, and having three people will make it easier. Something nice about this app is that it gives personality evaluations and it called me ‘ideal’. Still, flattery aside, here’s me giving my own objective evaluation. There is actually something detrimental with three-way conversations! If one person suddenly doesn’t feel like talking, the other two can’t talk as well because it would feel quite impolite to just ignore the other party!! Additionally, what is wrong with two people conversing? While randomly looking at some MBTI thing for fun I stumbled across this Youtube video where somebody had a meal with three others. It was perfectly fine and all! They got to vibe and have respectful, two-way conversations (soo low-key underrated) while getting a feel of each other and it was great!
Thus, going back to the basics, two people meeting up in real life and just talking is really the epitome of conversation. Without this, you don’t get to vibe with the other party plus they easily miss out on the subtleties of tone, which serve to get the message across. If you’re merely reading a plain monotone text message, it may easily lead to misunderstandings! Also, often, I feel that people don’t have time to read messages, as in they don’t allocate time to thinking deeply about them. They just straight out hyperspeed it and straightaway wrongly assume this or that. No time for nuances! Whereas when face-to-face with the other party, you get to clear things up right away with the other party being completely receptive to it. Real life example here: No, otsukare (thank you for your efforts) is not the same as tsukareta (I’m so tired)! Now, I was too lazy to go explain to this person that I was not claiming fatigue. I was like ahh, whatever… Basically, messages are a chore when people simply do not allocate sufficient mental resources to them. Meanwhile, if ya meet up face-to-face, communication is so much more easy and straightforward!
Anyway, I had a brainwave for the name of the app. I called it Mirror, after mirror neurons. It’s said by some that mirror neurons are the basis of empathy. People unconsciously mimic the mannerisms displayed by another and all that? So some apps get people to chat online. However, when chatting online, people are basically talking really to their screens. They can’t look at a person and absorb the emotions they’re radiating, reciprocating in kind! Some might even call it a disability of sorts… You could liken it to driving while wearing a translucent blindfold. Therefore, I feel that the core premise of this app should be facilitating such meetings which are currently terribly hard-to-come-by in real life.
Now, for some features of this app. One thing about the app is that it wouldn’t use profile photos. Something we tend to do when we see profile photos is to judge people based on their appearance. Really, l don’t think there is even any point in denying it. I mean, practically, we do it! However, this may lead to missed potential vibing and connecting. I mean, if you’ve never talked to this sort of person before, how can you say for sure that you wouldn’t like ’em? That is precisely the sort of thing the app aims to prevent! Without judging a person from appearance beforehand, agree to meet up with them for a meal at a fixed location and, well, prepare to be (hopefully pleasantly) surprised! Of course, a nice short profile description is probably fine.
With that in mind, I basically forwent any parameters besides the standard age and location. This has an added benefit, you know? Predators seeking to prey on others – now if you are unable to pinpoint any specific parameters of that other party you’ll be meeting with, how are you even supposed to target them!! Meanwhile, after meeting up with the other party, you’ll be able to confirm them as a ‘Recognised user’ afterwards – one who engages properly in interested conversation, to try to get to know you better. Now, people shouldn’t be rewarded for being veterans of the app – I mean, one is supposed to get closer to reaching their ‘social limit’ by forging connections with others!! The more successfully you’ve done that, the less room you’ll have for new people in your life!
Hey, I even thought up a super cool feature for the app! At the end of your meal/first meeting together, the two of you should take a selfie together which can then serve as the profile photo of your continued conversation on the app! Which aims to bring a smile to your face every time you look at it. Now, there’s still a final question of how to ward off ‘malicious people who hate the world and would like to watch it burn’, aka authenticate user etc, but I feel it’s a pretty good idea, yo.
Additionally, I randomly thought of some leading questions which would spark interested conversation. I’ll just share them because, why not.
1: What kind of sports do you most like?
Now, I feel that this is better as compared to stuff like music and TV shows and whatever because of two reasons. Firstly, people can just have so diverse tastes in them that it’s like a lottery to get to match with someone else. Secondly, it’s a plus if they can participate in a joint activity! It’s harder if it’s the consumption of media because that’s so passive.
2: What can’t you stand most in a person?
Basically, I feel that this is something people can get pretty passionate about. Maybe they can click? Enough said.
3: Is there anything interesting you’ve been really into recently?
Um, I’m not saying that you’re a boring person if the answer is no, but a yes definitely makes you much more interesting.
4: What kind of student are/were you?
I feel quite confident that there can be some interesting stories.
5: What is your view on human nature?
This is something everyone who can think will have by default, so.
6: Is there anything in particular you wish more people knew about?
For me, it’s definitely VR! Compared to modern society stuff, it’s not really much expensive, I believe. I wonder why it’s not picking up yet.
7: What is your take on modern society?
I used my mother as a litmus test. Since even she could answer this question ok, I guess it’s not so intuitive that sensors cannot answer (pardon my generalisation).
8: Do you prefer bustling cities or quaint towns?
Basically, it is about how materialistic they are and whether they appreciate beauty in nature to some degree. Personally, I chose Kyoto rather than Tokyo to go for exchange, so… (NOT judging)
Okay, I believe I’ve covered everything I did in my random app theorybuilding process? Finally, let me share the app description I made:
Mirror – Meet, eat, vibe enjoy
With our limited energies, human beings can only maintain a limited number of close, warm relationships. But that being said, would you say you have room for more?
The internet is but a cacophony of noise – while away your time, ask for help advice. Gain transient elusive affirmation seeking to feel alike.
It’s not very effective, hence this we propose: One at a time, free of fettering preconceptions, personality, looks a surprise, mirror neurons, to vibe!
(Lol, rhyming gene activated…)
End of post, came back the next day to add the pics!
Disclaimer: I am not denying the internet and believe that it can be a powerful medium for change. This app theorybuilding is a practical, focused exercise based on my own perspectives and experiences.