If ever you had hope that the world would eventually leave social media behind, well, you can go ahead and abandon that hope.
We've now gotten to the point where we're recycling defunct early-2000s era social networks for no clear reason:
SpaceHey launched in November 2020 as a nostalgia project. The retro social network, which claims no direct affiliation to MySpace, says it is focused on privacy and customization. There are no algorithms and no personalized ads. Feeds on the site are presented in chronological order with "no suggested content begging for your attention." Its creator, a 19-year-old developer from Germany who simply goes by An, will no doubt draw comparisons to MySpace co-founder "Tom."
Is nostalgia alone enough to get a project like this off the ground? Perhaps. According SpaceHey's FAQ, they've managed to attract over 370,000 members – the majority of which have come in just the past 30 days as news of the site makes the rounds on rival social networks.
Okay, well, admittedly, that does sound a little appealing.
"No algorithms," "no personalized ads," chronological feeds, no content suggestions.
That sounds like a callback to the days when social media was actually coherent and interesting and non-stressful.
Still, though... instead of going back, isn't it time to, you know, move forward? Maybe think about leaving the entire social media mess behind?
Consider... letting go? Like Rose did to Jack at the end of Titanic?
