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Evolution of Social Networks Using Pod Social Media Platform

Pod is a new social network that wants you to meet in person

In February 2019, Dr. Joe Webber founded Pod, a new social network designed to make it more feasible for its members to meet offline. This new social network claims to be the first platform that puts people on the map and let people interact at this level. In contrast to other social networks such as Facebook or Snapchat, Pod wants to encourage people to meet potential contacts and friends in person. Pod’s plans to offer both free and paid membership options. With free membership, you can create an avatar and interact with people with similar interests. The paid membership options include an added ability to message people you meet on the platform.

In class, we discussed how networks evolve over time specifically asking what causes nodes to appear or disappear and as a result which edges will form or vanish. I would like to explore how the different relationships between people that use Pod may change over time. Mark Granovetter defines a strong tie as being close and a weak tie as being a distant friend or friend acquaintance. The main idea behind Pods is to encourage people to meet in person and engage in activities that are mutually enjoyable. The main question to ask when a new social platform is created is what separates it from the preexisting platforms and what effect will it have on society. For example, Pod specifically claims that they are introducing the ability for people to meet. Given that information, as a measure of Pod’s likelihood to remain a viable candidate amongst social media platforms, I would like to examine the possible effects that Pod could have on pre-existing relationships and the possibility of the formation of friendships. In order to answer this question and to explore changes that may happen over time, we use an example of a hypothetical friendship group. Let’s say that Angel, Makayla, and Nitori form a group of close-knit friends that started using Pod as soon as it came out. This social network the relationship between everyone in the group can be represented with a strong tie since they are all close friends. If from using the Pods, Makayla meets new people and makes a new friend, Eric. In this new network, a new edge has been created and exists between Makayla and Eric. Accounting the possible friendships that Eric already had, we have created a weak tie connecting these two social groups. This edge that links the two social groups would be classified ad a local bridge and could become a source of new opportunities and potentially new friendships.

Additionally, there is a possibility that pre-existing relationships weaken using this platform. For example, if Makayla consistently shares posts asking for people to meet with her to watch a game, etc. and none of her close friends ever respond even when they are near her. It is possible that her relationship with her friends will gradually weaken over time. Another possible scenario could be that Makayla’s interests could start aligning with those Eric’s friendships. As a result, there will many formations of new friendships between Makayla and Eric’s friends.

The potential evolution of this network that was described above is what is ideally expected to occur, fostering new friendships. However, it is important to consider the dangers and negatives that could potentially arise from this platform. By providing the ability for people to meet when they are near each other, could be a potential safety hazard. Disclosing such information with random individuals could make it easier for people to commit immoral acts. It is almost impossible to guarantee that the people using the platform are well-intentioned. Although the same freedom to commit immoral acts is available on other social media platforms as well, the main difference is that on platforms such as Facebook, you are not physically interacting with strangers. Interacting strictly online provides this extra shield of protection that Pod does not have.

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