10 Features of a Non-Addictive Social Platform
06 Apr 2025 #miscEvery beep, buzz, and notification is designed to keep us hooked.
The other day while preparing my Friday Links email, I found Seven39. A social media platform that only opens from 7:39PM to 10:39PM EST.
It made me think of what features I’d like to see on a non-addictive social media app:
#1. It only opens on a fixed schedule. Inspired by Seven39 itself. Or, instead of a fixed schedule for everyone, users set their own open hours, capped at two hours per day.
#2. It only allows you to have 150 connections, at most.
#3. After open hours, it goes into “dumb” mode or simply kicks you out, and you can’t log in again.
#4. It only allows a maximum number of interactions, such as likes, comments, or reposts, per day.
#5. Users are limited to one post per day. You’re better off thinking carefully about what you want to share. You only have one shot.
#6. It’s invitation-only.
#7. It doesn’t email you, except for authentication and security reasons. No email notifications at all. No “someone viewed your profile.”
#8. No endless feed for you to scroll. You can only interact directly with your connections.
#9. It has no notifications while you’re online. You should only receive a daily digest of your connections’ activity on your post.
#10. It has no metrics. Just likes.
A platform like this needs a name. What about these?
- BeepZero: No beeps. No notifications. Just connection.
- TinCan: Your friends, you, and a tin can phone.
- NoSocial: The nosocial media platform.
Which one is your favorite? Mine is TinCan.
Would you sign up for a platform like this? Of course, after you receive an invitation.