The App That Doesn’t Want You to Go Viral: Why “Retro” Is Redesigning Social Media for Memory | by Haylin | Medium

It might sound like a tired philosophical question, but the quality of our relationships is one of the most powerful predictors of long-term happiness. Those with strong social ties suffer less from anxiety and depression, and, as countless studies have shown, they tend to live longer. And yet, in a cross-national survey of 17 developed countries — including the U.S., U.K., the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan — Korea was one of just three nations where “material wealth” ranked above “family and children” as the highest life priority. Spain, by contrast, ranked “health” highest; Taiwan chose “community.” It’s no wonder, then, that Korea has one of the highest suicide rates among OECD countries and is projected to be one of the fastest-declining populations on the planet. In this climate, can a new kind of social app — one that dares to put real human connection at its core — actually succeed? A country where Instagram envy and algorithmic overexposure are routinely blamed for

saved by

• Victoria Feng