The Unfixable Problem of Social Media: A Founder's Confession

The author recounts the failure of their social media platform, Circliq, designed to address the shortcomings of existing platforms. They discovered that the core issue isn't fixable with a new app, but rather stems from the inherent economic structure that incentivizes growth at the expense of user well-being. The pursuit of growth leads to algorithmic manipulation and ultimately, addiction. The solution, the author argues, lies not in building better social media, but in changing the game entirely – through alternative funding models, regulated algorithms, structural separation of social functions and economic incentives, and alternative metrics prioritizing user well-being over engagement.