This app is beating out Insta, Twitter and Facebook by ditching likes

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We all have a love-hate relationship with social media. But perhaps one of its greatest drawbacks is the way it almost forces us to compare ourselves to one another by providing us with the metrics to do so.

The terms “like” and “follower” have taken on entirely different meanings in the past few years, thanks to apps like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Would you believe me if I told you that Instagram was only created in 2010? A mere eight years ago? It’s hard to remember a time without it, which is really quite scary.

The result has been an entire generation growing up with the notion that the number of followers you have and the amount of likes you receive are a direct reflection of talent and self-worth. Thus, if someone feels as though their numbers don’t hold up, it begins to take a serious toll on motivation and self-esteem. On the one hand, this is an age-old narrative that we all know is kind of bogus. But as much as we tell ourselves that numbers don’t matter, it’s almost impossible not to compare ourselves each other.

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Enter Vero. Vero seemingly came out of nowhere in the past few weeks. But in reality, it was released in 2015 by Ayman Hariri.

Now, like many of us, you may be thinking: ugh, not another one. What could this app possibly have to offer that the others have yet to accomplish?

The answer is simple: get rid of the likes and, in turn, the pressure.

Vero’s company manifesto says that “people naturally seek connection” but also points to the cognitive dissonance that social media causes. They say contemporary social media platforms have given us “a false sense of connection” that has “left us lonelier than ever.” And quite frankly, we can’t disagree.

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Vero, a word meaning truth , seeks to reinstate the integrity of social media by getting rid of likes, disallowing advertisements, and not manipulating the feed in any way, shape or form, they claim. All you see is what you post, as well as what others you choose to follow post, in chronological order, free of any potentially problematic algorithms (lol, no shade).

The app has been picking up immense speed. Vero initially offered a “free for life” guarantee to its first one million users that sign up. However, due to what the company has called an “extraordinary demand”, they’ve extended this offer indefinitely. The app has now surpassed three million users and continues to gain momentum.

With approximately 800 million users, we’re not sure that Instagram is shaking quite yet. But this is certainly a concept catching people’s attention. Instagram without the likes, shitty algorithm, and advertisements sure does sound good…. almost too good to be true. Vero’s longevity will likely depend on how many people continue to sign up and if the app can adapt to its sudden success.

How do you “like” that, Insta? What do you think, will Instagram double-tap out (sorry, I’ll stop) or swing back?

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