CTRL-ALT-DELETE Social Media

When faced with a problem of epic proportions, there comes a time when quick and easy Band-Aid fixes just won’t do. Sometimes, the only solution is to burn it all to the ground and start from scratch. The dumpster fire that is the state of social media today shows that process has already begun. The flames are too large for the media giants to handle, and their solutions are getting wilder in their desperation. Society is calling for more inclusivity and less manipulation. While existing social media platforms are trying to listen and correct their mistakes, we have to wonder if it’s too little too late to undo what social media has become. In a clichéd case of being careful what you wish for, the puppeteers at Meta, Twitter, and the like have gotten too deep into the algorithm to remember the humanity behind it all. Try as they might to backpedal now, the damage has been done. As existing platforms slowly implode, Aligned Social is the phoenix rising from the ashes. Anticipating this shift in social energy, Aligned Social is a brand-new app about to hit the market that firmly believes we need to CTRL-ALT-DELETE and start rebuilding our concept of social media from scratch.

Social media was once a digital space to stay connected and share content and ideas with people near and far. Since its conception, it’s gone in a darker direction over time, slipping back into middle school popularity politics. Suddenly, our worth is determined by the number of followers we have, and the like count on our posts. This week alone we saw Instagram users panic at a sudden dip in follower counts, something Instagram quickly explained away as “bot scraping.” They spun the interference into further manipulation, claiming they were doing their users a favor by eliminating the fake profiles that litter the platform. If, and this is a big “if,” that was truly the case, this still raises several unanswerable questions, including, “why now?” These fake profiles are not new; this is something users have reported and complained widely about for years. Instead of addressing the root cause of the bots, they were reframed as helpful when users were rewarded for having higher followings, larger like counts, and more story views. Fake profiles became acceptable if it meant the number of followers went up. This caused widespread panic when Instagram decided on its own terms to take sudden action and comb through these accounts. However, the complaints didn’t stop at the superficial diminished following; there were complaints that legitimate humans could no longer access their accounts, and content was being deleted from perfectly reasonable profiles. Instagram released its vague “oops” statement, followers were replaced like magic, and all was quiet on the social media front once again.?

We see Elon Musk trying to take matters into his own hands over at Twitter. We see Facebook’s stocks tanking as Meta users scramble to figure out what’s next. But the answer doesn’t lie in the smoldering remains of what social media once was, waiting for the next round of flames to ignite. The answer to our social media woes is a fresh start with Aligned Social. We are taking the pieces of existing platforms that we all know and love, the best of the best, the features we’ve missed, and the parts we’ve longed for all along, and putting it all together in one perfect platform for the people. We’re focusing on the mental health of our users, fighting against harassment, and taking active steps towards filter-free, authentic connection. Prompts at login will encourage consciousness and intention, even if the goal is a mindless scroll. Further, without the manipulation of ads or censorship, our users are the ones in control of their curated connections, aligning and unaligning as they see fit. The cherry on top is when we throw in that 10% of our revenue goes straight back into our community through charities our users get to choose from. We’re interested in bringing people together and reconnecting a divided population. There is enough room for everyone when we are conscious enough to come from a place of alignment.?

We know it will take some time to reteach and retrain ourselves on how to use social media. Starting over from the ground up takes intention and purpose, something the masterminds behind Aligned Social are no strangers to. The team is made up of a shamanic healer, a psychology guru, an ethereal astrologer, and a technology savant, providing a wide range of perspectives, all with a common goal to heal the collective. Operating under the umbrella of “digital wellness,” Aligned Social aims to provide a space for individuals to feel comfortable in their own skin and share what makes them unique with the world. We are not interested in participating in an echo chamber of our own beliefs; true, authentic connections lie in appreciating our differences as well as our similarities. It’s high time we had a safe space to do so, and the platforms that we have on the market today can’t keep up.

In the words of a cutesy country song, “when the bones are good, the rest don’t matter.” We see Meta trying to backtrack, but the hole is too deep. Overcorrections are not the answer. It’s time to start over. We need a sturdy platform on which to rebuild our entire concept of social media. Society is calling for connection and authenticity, both as individuals and small businesses looking for support and encouragement. Aligned Social is the fresh start we’ve all been waiting for. It’s okay to walk away from what’s hurting us to embark on a healthier path.

Out with the old, in with the new. Let’s take a breath of fresh air together over at Aligned Social.