pro-social media

o1 Pro.icon

Conventional social networking sites (SNS) learn about people's connections from data such as "likes" and comments, and distribute posts in a way that maximizes advertising revenue. As a result, information that incites conflict tends to spread easily, and an "anti-social" aspect that deepens misinformation and division has become apparent.

Emphasis is placed on explicitly identifying the communities to which users belong (e.g., workplaces, hobby groups, regions, etc.) and building common understandings and values for each community.

Label posts in a way that users can easily understand "which community supports the post" or "which post is controversial in the community".

Bridging" refers to finding and sharing content that is widely agreed upon and shared among community members to strengthen common ground.

Balancing" is a mechanism for scooping out diverse viewpoints within a community by fairly presenting opposing points of disagreement.

Incorporating such mechanisms into SNS rankings and recommendations will make it easier to move toward consensus building and dialogue rather than one-sided flame wars.

Rather than spreading random posts with revenue generated from advertising, communities and users can use money (or reputation within the community) to encourage "posts that bring their community together" or "deepen common understanding".

Companies that advertise can also advertise in a way that not only "individual targeting" but also "community-wide empathy" can be achieved.

Make it clear "to which community" posts and responses (e.g., comments) are "intended for," and distribute information while protecting approval and privacy within the community.

Designing the information so that it is difficult for it to spread outside the members without their permission (protecting the context of the information) makes it easier to prevent misunderstandings and flame wars.

The conventional type earned revenue by "making people scroll endlessly and click on ads.

A pro-social media system in which communities invest to increase their cohesion (bridging) and the balance of diverse opinions (balancing). It is easier to handle small conflicts constructively and prevent major divisions.

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why it matters

By visualizing "the degree of support and discussion in each community," we can reduce "bubbles" that spread misunderstandings and misinformation, as well as extreme isolation.

Conflicting topics are also presented in a structured manner to show that there is "more than one opinion" and to give both sides a certain opportunity to speak, making it easier to understand each other's arguments.

Emphasizing points of agreement (bridges) creates an opportunity to realize that we are not enemies at all.

Empowering communities with multifaceted affiliations, such as individual hobbies and jobs, and allowing the communities themselves to proactively disseminate and coordinate information.

As a result, collaboration and innovation are more likely to occur at work, in the community, and in online hobby communities.

Democracy and community functioning are likely to be enhanced because people are more likely to participate in building community consensus and trust, rather than simply consuming information.

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Pro-Social Media" is a new design philosophy designed to reduce the problems of misinformation, fragmentation, and extremism that tend to arise with social networking and to strengthen the social fabric of human interaction.

It can be said that this approach attempts to redesign the "power to connect people" inside the SNS through transparency from the community perspective (visualization of which communities have support or conflict), a recommendation method that emphasizes bridging and balancing, and a business model in which communities invest to enhance cohesion. As a result, users are more likely to approach mutual understanding and consensus building, with the aim of achieving both stability and diversity in society as a whole.

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