I once sat with this boy, on a clear Summer night
With nothing but stars and glimmering lights,
Nothing but silence sat between us
Yet I felt that he was fidgeting a great big fuss
He looked up wondering where space could be
Yet, only blackness was waiting from what he could see
“I don’t see it, I don’t see what you mean,”
Flustered from finding that that ‘space’ hadn’t been seen Continue reading
Coming up with that “game-changer” app in today’s tech world is getting more and more difficult. We have an online marketplace (Amazon), an online search directory (Google), online mailboxes (e-mail), a slew of software to help with dating, hook ups and true romance (Plenty of Fish, eHarmony, OKCupid, Tinder….take your pick). We even have a review website dedicated solely to reviewing everything from restaurants to department stores (Yelp!). So the first question I asked my friends when the announcement came that a “yelp for people” app was just launched was, “are you surprised?”
It was only a matter of time before someone got the idea to close the gap on the lack of socialization with an app that makes it completely justifiable to not talk to anyone. I was always wondering what app was going to come around to commercialize social interactions. It seems that the people at ‘Peeple,’ took up that challenge.
If you’re wondering what “Peeple” is, it is a new smart-phone application created by Nicole McCullough and Julia Cordra that allows you to rate people much like you would a restaurant on Yelp. There are stars, comments and even a feature that allows for a negative “review of yourself” to be answered to. According to a Washington Post interview, Julia Cordray said of the app: “People do so much research when they buy a car or make those kinds of decisions. Why not do the same kind of research on other aspects of your life?”
Did she just compare a car to a human’s mind, characteristics, and personality?
The general public will have its time to comment on the new app, but the general reception on the Internet hasn’t been favorable for the two co-founders. Scathing reviews have been left on the app’s Facebook page from hundreds of people who are not sold on the idea of giving their exes, acquaintances and bad dates the chance to smack talk them on the largest public forum on Earth (by that last statement, I meant the Internet).
We’re going to watch how this social event proceeds in the coming month before we can analyze in greater detail. Even if this app flounders, it has sparked the conversation of the possibilities in social interaction and what can be achieved when people will do anything in their power to avoid human communication. I can just imagine the future of dating:
Enamored Boy: ” You do have a beautiful smile. I’d love to take you to dinner. What about this Saturday at eight?”
Equally enamored Girl: “I would love that,” she says with flushed cheeks.
Two-hours later – via text
Equally enamored Girl (now not so enamored): “Hey. I changed my mind on Saturday.”
Confused, yet still enamored Boy: “Oh? Does Friday work out better?”
Girl: “No. No day works out better. Don’t call me, please.”
Boy: “What? Why not?”
Girl: ” It’s nothing. I just changed my mind.”
Boy: “But why?”
Girl: ” Because you’re cheap as Hell!”
Boy: “What?!”
Girl: ” I saw your Peeple profile.”
Boy: “And?”
Girl: “Yeah, well, it looks like you tried to split the bill when you were dating some girl who left a review about your dating capabilities. She gave you 2 stars.”
Boy: “That was my ex. We dated for 4 years. We split the bill all the time.”
Girl: “It doesn’t say that you two dated. I don’t believe you.”
Ah, the fantasy of belief that a barrier in social interaction via a piece of technology will somehow make us more open to socialize with eachother. It’s cherry picking at best, and twisted social surveillance at worst. Let’s hope that we don’t read an article soon stating, ” 2020 Presidential candidate scores 3.2 on smart-phone app. Many question validity of candidacy!”