Bridges is a new social media platform which looks to bring people with differing views together. The creators of Bridges feel some of the platforms we have grown to know and love are slowly tearing us apart by making our opinions more extreme, with much of the social media we use allowing us the anonymity to spout our ideas without really holding everyone accountable for their words. Discussions turn toxic, which is not a constructive way to understand each other and promote change.Heath Fogelman, a local entrepreneur from Dunedin, has launched a campaign funding this new app, believing it will help connect people rather than dividing them. Fogelman says Bridges will “provide a safe space for civil discourse about fundamental differences in politics, religion, race, gender, sexuality, age, and more.” The fundraising campaign is being held on crowdfunding source IndieGoGo and runs through Sunday, March 25th.
Bridges will allow you to choose what personal information you want to make public, and what you want to keep to yourself. But you only get so much anonymity, because the app pairs you with one other person, rather than allowing a free-for-all on long threads. Then the app lets you choose what you’d like to discuss, and with whom, based on both your interests and the differences between you and your matchup.
You talk to the other person one-on-one in an open forum, with a system for rating and reporting so you can rate how well you think the conversation went, and you can also notify Bridges moderators if your conversation partner broke the terms and conditions of the chat. Bridges moderators are always engaged, and accounts can be suspended or timed out accordingly.
Unlockable badges and achievements will be available in Bridges to incentivize people to keep using and exploring everything the app has to offer. The badges show how many conversations you’ve had, with what kinds of people you have interacted with, and what topics you have successfully discussed. The creators of Bridges also want their space to be a place to grow positive energy, and eventually lead to them hosting public events like art shows, concerts, and photography exhibitions.
Bridges' social media platform aims to be kinder, teaching people to consider each other's different points of view a little more and letting that trickle down into our everyday lives. In the end, Bridges hopes to change the discourse not just on their own social platform, but on all of them.
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