So this piece is pretty brilliant, as the other commenter on this essay has correctly noted. Not really sure what that guy's deal is or whatever, but he's onto something.
I'm curious, though - in lieu of simply re-labeling the nuances and distinctions between different forms of presence and connection, do you think it's even possible to build a platform that promotes and emphasizes "true presence" (as you define it) within the digital landscape? Or is it simply something that digital/social media can only ever produce a kind of vague facsimile of? I do wonder sometimes how our social media platforms would have been conceived and would have evolved if they had been built through a more humanistic lens.
Thank you—truly. That’s a generous read, and a generous question.
I wonder the same thing: Could a platform ever really support true presence? Technically possible—but probably not what it was built for. Most platforms weren’t designed for depth. They were designed for stickiness.
If something different did exist, I’m not sure we’d even call it a platform. It might feel more like a well-designed exit ramp. Or a porch. Or one of those ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs people actually respect.
I do wonder what a more human-centered version might have looked like. Maybe the first prompt wouldn’t be “What’s on your mind?” But: “Are you sure this needs to be said out loud?”
I think starting with a "are you sure this needs to be said" might be the key thing.
But even then, I'm not sure how possible it would be to build something like this. My best guess is that it would be something like Reddit - where everyone is clustered into little niche communities that tend not to cross paths, and where most people tend to be respectful and curious and get along as a result. I'm just not so sure how to make something like that scale upward as soon as pictures and video get heavily involved.
That comment feels metaphorical—and mildly orthopedic. A reminder to look up instead of scrolling at a 45-degree angle. Modern posture really is just a tragedy of interface design. :)
So this piece is pretty brilliant, as the other commenter on this essay has correctly noted. Not really sure what that guy's deal is or whatever, but he's onto something.
I'm curious, though - in lieu of simply re-labeling the nuances and distinctions between different forms of presence and connection, do you think it's even possible to build a platform that promotes and emphasizes "true presence" (as you define it) within the digital landscape? Or is it simply something that digital/social media can only ever produce a kind of vague facsimile of? I do wonder sometimes how our social media platforms would have been conceived and would have evolved if they had been built through a more humanistic lens.
Thank you—truly. That’s a generous read, and a generous question.
I wonder the same thing: Could a platform ever really support true presence? Technically possible—but probably not what it was built for. Most platforms weren’t designed for depth. They were designed for stickiness.
If something different did exist, I’m not sure we’d even call it a platform. It might feel more like a well-designed exit ramp. Or a porch. Or one of those ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs people actually respect.
I do wonder what a more human-centered version might have looked like. Maybe the first prompt wouldn’t be “What’s on your mind?” But: “Are you sure this needs to be said out loud?”
Curious where that lands with you.
I think starting with a "are you sure this needs to be said" might be the key thing.
But even then, I'm not sure how possible it would be to build something like this. My best guess is that it would be something like Reddit - where everyone is clustered into little niche communities that tend not to cross paths, and where most people tend to be respectful and curious and get along as a result. I'm just not so sure how to make something like that scale upward as soon as pictures and video get heavily involved.
This resonates with anyone who lifts their head up and gazes around.
That comment feels metaphorical—and mildly orthopedic. A reminder to look up instead of scrolling at a 45-degree angle. Modern posture really is just a tragedy of interface design. :)