Binky, the social media app that does nothing. Literally.
Someday, technology would grow to an extent that humans wouldn't even have to think for themselves. It seems we are one step closer. Binky, "the most stress-free social media app", is out. What does it do? Give you the feel of social media without any repercussion. You can like, comment, re-post, but nothing will actually happen. Find out more about this intriguing app.
A playground where you will never get hurt
Your feed on Binky would turn out random posts (called 'Binks') with pictures (Instagram-style). You can like (Facebook-style), swipe left or right (Tinder-style), even comment and share. If you re-share, literally nothing will happen. If you simply type, random words will load to form a comment automatically. All you will get, is the feeling of actually being on social media "without all the hassle".
What exactly will happen on the app?
So you might see images of mundane stuff on your newsfeed, ranging from "camel", to "lithium-ion battery", to "ginger" and "hippopotamus", all captioned as just what they are called. Hit 'like', there will be an explosion. Comments will be followed by seemingly endless emojis.
Kurtz realized the compulsiveness and the angst of smartphone use
"It started out as a joke," says developer Dan Kurtz. "Facebook is too much anger, stress and sadness, but you want to do something on your phone." He also blended all popular platforms into one. The Binky website sums it up: "All we want from our apps is to see stuff scroll up. It doesn't matter what the stuff is."
The Facebook-induced epidemic depression
Social media moved away from its primary purpose long back: that of connecting people and facilitating exchange of ideas. It has now become a tool to compete with others about how "better off" you are. With low censorship, it has also given a platform to trolls who often leave vile comments. Moreover, global developments that pop up on our feeds have gotten increasingly darker.
Psychology- Binky exploits addiction to repeal depression
Smartphone addiction has also become the norm. It doesn't matter what we see on the screen, but we need to touch it constantly; however, the novelty has now vanished. Binky combines addiction to social media and depression caused by it to provide a fresh platform.
Not the first time such an invention came up
In 2014, Moshe Hogeg released an app called Yo. It did nothing, except sending a 'Yo' to other users. Others could simply respond with a 'Yo'. It raised $1mn, and then another $1.5mn round at a valuation of $5-10mn. By June, it was the #4 app on the App Store. But all the fancy was lost by September; it had come down to #1277.
