Social Social Media

When we think of social media we think of opening an app and seeing what other people are up to. We think of scrolling through a feed twice curated, once by the posters and twice by the platform, creating a certain mirage of lifestyles and depictions through various types of content. That is what we think of first. Secondly, we might think of posting here and there if we have a photogenic moment or other experience to share. Or perhaps you take social media and content creation seriously, so you spend hours creating content that is in line with the vibe you want to portray. Then you post it and hope it performs well. You hope other people see it, engage with it, and share it – and if you’re lucky, it goes viral. But for the most part, our feeds are full of influencers, celebrities, brands or other huge pages or creators who do this full-time.

While social media’s origins were synonymous with its name, it has evolved into something quite different. To generalize, the better name for modern social media might be “parasocial media.” In case you don’t know what a parasocial relationship is, it is one that is “one-sided.” The best example of this is celebrities and their fans. We all love Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and we feel like we know him, meanwhile, he doesn’t know most of us exist. It would be impossible for him to. Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist, believes that humans can only maintain about 150 connections at one time. Modern scientists tend to agree with his theory, so how can Dwayne know all 357 million of his followers (on Instagram alone)? He can’t and that’s okay.

Now let me ask you this, does any of that sound social? Not really, huh? This isn’t a reason to stop using social media, nor should you feel shorted from your online interactions and experiences. Social media has changed the world and created a lot of opportunities for many. It has changed journalism and news, it has held many accountable, given many a voice, made many people laugh, sparked creativity, broadened our horizons, made people feel less alone, and so much more. It just feels a bit hokey calling it “social” media when it is barely social anymore. There are apps that focus on putting the “social” back in social media, like Yubo. But the larger apps we think of when prompted with “social media” consists of scrolling through content, liking, and occasionally sharing a post or two. That is simply a shallow social interaction, it is all second-hand. In that instance, the only interaction that happens is the occasional DM or engaging in comments if you happen to get a reply.

So, what if you want to actually use social media to socialize? You’re in luck, all you need to do is actually interact with other people, not just their content. That’s what socializing is, isn’t it? The act of interacting with others. Not to brag, but this is where Yubo shines. 

Yubo was created to give people a place to socialize again, so much so that the app is solely dedicated to it. But this article is not all about Yubo. Here are two ways you can actually use social media to socialize.

The first one may seem like a given, but it is the easiest and most fun way to interact with others online. Message people. It sounds simple, but most users rarely even leave comments. It can always be awkward “sliding into someone’s DMs,” but it’s necessary if you want to meet new friends or even stay in touch with old ones. Plus, social media does a great job at showcasing people's interests… because that's often where people go to express them. For example, if you see someone has the “photography” tag in their Yubo profile, why not ask them if they prefer film or digital photography. Or maybe someone is passionate about fitness, they might have a workout tip or two to share. The best part is that not only do you get the pleasure of getting to know someone and potentially learn new things, but you also get the chance to forge a new friendship. One of the biggest benefits to messaging is its convenience. You can send a message any time of the day or night and it will be there until the other person opens it. This is a huge advantage for international relationships. Bonus: Yubo makes finding people with similar interests easy by filtering swipes through tags, so go ahead and check it out.

Another great way to socialize online is through live streaming. This is the closest thing to socializing in real life, which can be pretty impactful. While texting is fun and convenient, actually speaking to someone else, especially if you can see their face, simply feels better. It’s more fulfilling and can lead to some truly amazing relationships. Whether you are forming a new one or maintaining one, livestream interactions are a great way to connect with other people. Yubo specializes in this with its Live feature. On Yubo you can hang out with your friends in a livestream or you can use this to meet new people, it is entirely up to you. There are smaller Lives, which are chiller hangouts with a few friends, and on the other end of the spectrum, there are large Lives which range from rants, debates, talent shows, dance parties, to just creating new friendships in creative ways and everything in between.

Because of this, at Yubo, we like to think of ourselves as a social social media platform.