In 2012 ASKfm, the social network known for its anonymous “question-answer” format, sadly went down in history for the high number of teenage suicides it caused around the world. A sad chapter in the history of apps, which perhaps we have forgotten too soon, caught up with the concern of the negative impact of Instagram on the mental health of our young people. On the other hand, the dark side of social media is the one that scares us the most, and at the same time the one we can’t give up. But a German startup has finally found the elixir of happiness: Slay, the “positive social network for teenagers”.
Launched last year in Germany, it reached the top spot in the German iOS App Store just four days after its launch, becoming trendy among German teenagers. Today it boasts 250,000 registered users, and is starting to become popular in other European countries, primarily the United Kingdom. But what is it that makes social media so unique? Happiness, to be precise. Opening the application, 12 questions are displayed to be answered only by choosing another user to give an anonymous compliment. Slay could ask “Who inspires me to do my best?”, for example, and you will have to answer by choosing someone to pay this compliment, anonymously of course.
At the same time, you too will receive compliments from your friends, provided they answer the 12 initial questions proposed by the app. In this way, Slay feeds a circuit of positive content. On the other hand, the platform’s goal is to improve adolescents’ relationship with social apps, trying to keep negative feelings away as much as possible. Not surprisingly, Slay defines itself to all intents and purposes as “the app for compliments”. In any case, one thing is certain: this is a safe app. The platform itself states that it will “never sell or share personal data with third parties” – a promise we hope it will keep.
Slay Lacks The Direct Messaging Function Altogether
Furthermore, Slay lacks the direct messaging function altogether, although users can add links to their social profiles, thus opening up the possibility of exchanging messages outside the application. Finally, it must be considered that the questions users have to answer are proposed by the app itself and not by other people, which significantly limits the risk faced by teenagers who use it. The conditions for a happy social network, therefore, are all there. Now we just have to see if Slay will really be able to conquer a global audience.
The three founders of the startup behind the app are all hoping for it. Fabian Kamberi, Jannis Ringwald and Stefan Quernhorst are three 23-year-olds who have put all their positive energies into the creation of Slay. The idea comes from Kamberi, who admitted that he was inspired by the experiences of his brothers dealing with the negativity of social media during the pandemic. An intuition that could prove brilliant in the near future. For the moment, in fact, Slay is only available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. But we hope to see you in Italy soon, because we are sure that the compliments are good for everyone. Teenagers and not.
This article is originally published on wired.it
