12 March 2019 / uSync Does Social Media Need to Blow Our Minds? It was in November of last year when Elon Musk made a Podcast comment that ruffled a few feathers in the Apple community. He said that "there’s not that many products you can buy that really make you happier. Apple used to really bring out products that would blow people’s minds, you know? They still make great products, but there’s less of that.” Lately, I’ve been thinking about what Musk said in the context of social media. Has there ever been a platform that has blown our minds? Can there even be an “Apple” of social media? To put it another way: if Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive were designing a social media platform, would it have blown our minds as much as the iPhone did?At the heart of social media, at least in principle, is the idea of connecting with other people. That’s really it. We want to connect with others that we know in real life, some of whom might live far away, and reach out to people we’ve never met because their interests align with ours. Do we really need anything more than that? It seems that social media companies are coming out with increasingly complex and specialized apps. Most of those are geared towards some kind of business-oriented goal to retain users. This almost always translates a purpose focused on quantity of content which will produce more views that translates to income for users who create content.All that is well and good, but it might also be too aspirational to really be useful. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get more exposure for your business or create personal income, but the need for more likes/followers can go too far. If the idea of “connection” becomes loaded and laced with the need for strategy, then we’re not only complicating the whole idea of social media—we’re losing its power, too.Why? If social media becomes a place where our time and attention is counted in dollars—in the form of ads and “social media strategy”—then we will act accordingly. It’s hard not to become cynical in these circumstances. The problem with being a cynic on social media is that you’re not open to genuine connection. If you’re not comfortable reaching out or discovering new inspiration “just because,” then you won’t really broaden your perspective or social circle.Perhaps the most mind blowing direction social media can take is to move towards simplicity and really go back to the basics. Recently, I’ve been using uSync, a new social media platform designed to make your life—both the personal and professional side—as simple and seamless as possible. What I love about uSync is the well-designed interface (not surprising, considering the founder worked with Steve Jobs at Apple), and how in-control I feel while I use it. If you’re tired of the unnecessary complexity and the strings-attached nature of the social media platforms you’re currently using, I suggest you sign up and give uSync a try.