I spend a lot of time on social media for work, and in my freetime. Social media platforms excel at capturing our attention by providing a hyper-curated feed of content tailored to our interests. Web2 social networks mastered this art. But there is something missing that I don’t think could be solved with traditional web2 social media.

Humans are not one dimensional. We have many interests, partake in numerous activities and belong to diverse social circles. Our online identity should reflect that. Instead, currently we must compartmentalize our online identity by joining different social networks for distinct purposes and none of these networks interact.

This is a common talking point in crypto to promote composable social platforms built on blockchain networks. I am a huge proponent of that but I can’t wait to see other non native social media applications connect in new ways. Imagine lifestyle applications offering specific utilities beyond social media as part of this social data lake.

I had these three, ironically orange tabs open together the other day. BazAR to look at digital art on Arweave, Babbel to review my German vocab, and Strava to check my stats from my last run.

While each of these applications serves unique purposes, they share one similarity. They are networks of individuals passionate about specific topics, whether it's creativity, learning, or maintaining an active lifestyle. The issue is that they could never connect. I am sure there are artists who like to exercise, or runners who are also learning a second language.

Humans aren’t one dimensional. We should build a network that supports integrations with applications that aren’t social media first but are still robust data sources.

This could potentially create a more positive online environment, as people may discover shared interests with others. You might find yourself disagreeing with someone's political views, but upon realizing that you both share a passion for marathon training or have read the same books, you may reconsider your initial impression of them. Recognizing commonalities could lead to a more empathetic and understanding online community.

We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.

- Seneca

The permaweb as the lifestyle network

The vision for a composable permaweb is coming to life on Arweave. We are seeing interconnected applications using atomic assets built on protocols and frameworks like UCM and UDL, making the permaweb fairer and more accessible for everyone. The recent AO testnet release, will further streamline this process and bring more people and applications onto the permweb.

The groundwork is being laid not only for composable social apps but also for lifestyle applications that extend beyond traditional social media to integrate seamlessly. This creates a more diverse social media environment that even promotes learning and leading healthy lifestyles. I’d like to see the permaweb evolve into the ultimate lifestyle network, that reflects the multidimensionality of human life.

Points for good

Online platforms often use points and streaks to incentivize user actions and encourage continued engagement with the app. Permaweb apps could use points for similar purposes, such as fostering learning and promoting healthy lifestyles. Let's take a language learning app as an example. A teacher could create a language course as an atomic asset with UDL tags, requiring students to pay for access, a transaction facilitated through UCM.

The student completes the course, and obtains points for maintaining a learning streak as they progress. Inspired by their achievement, they decide to share their streak on social media, motivating fellow language learners to keep up their own streaks.

Upon successfully passing a test, the student automatically receives an award via a smart contract as an atomic asset, a tangible trophy to showcase their completion of the course. Simultaneously, the teacher earns points for each student who completes their course.

Meanwhile, the student continues to accumulate points through their running app, building a streak for their tracked runs. They participate in a marathon and earn an atomic asset trophy as recognition for their accomplishment.

Unlike points awarded for meaningless tasks, these systems, if designed thoughtfully, could genuinely incentivize individuals to explore new activities and adopt healthier lifestyles.

Currently crypto is often compared to a casino, but lifestyle applications on the permaweb, when built with the right incentives, have the potential to be both fun and impactful.