Software:Herd Social
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| Developer(s) | Herd App Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | May 18, 2021 |
| Operating system | iOS |
| Website | www |
Herd is an American photo sharing platform and social networking app owned by Herd App Inc. and co-founded by CEO Madisen Dewey and COO Alexandra Howard. [1] The app launched on May 18, 2021 and quickly rose to #15 on the iOS app store charts under the "social networking" category. [2]
History
Herd was first conceptualized during the COVID-19 pandemic by its co-founders, Madisen Dewey and Alexandra Howard, as a solution to the comparison and negativity experienced by millions of social media users. [3] Herd emerged from the frustrations of consumers who distinctly feel the mounting problems of their digital footprint becoming monetized, from battling misinformation to declining emotional well-being. [2] As the first female-founded social media platform[3], Madisen & Alexandra wanted to design a platform where women feel safe to express themselves online. [3]
Herd was one of the first platforms to market their app on the popular app TikTok, by posting funny and relatable videos to their audience.[4] By discussing what a "healthier social media" could look like, Herd grew their TikTok following within the Generation Z demographic to over 200k. [4]
This early traction led to a large waitlist pre-launch. [5] Herd officially launched its public beta on the iOS App Store on May 18, 2021.
After launching in May 2021, Herd was featured in a TechCrunch article as the "under the radar" app to watch.[6]
Overview
Herd is specifically designed to encourage and empower its users.[7] Herd prioritizes transparency, consent, and emotional wellbeing over traditional social media that has been linked to higher risks of depression, anxiety, and lower self-esteem, especially within younger generations. [8] Herd also intentionally does not display advertisements and does not individually track user behavior or data. [3] Herd believes that you should be in control of your data privacy and how it is used. [9]
On Herd, there are no public metrics - no like counts or follower counts.[5] You are in control over the content you see on your feed through the categories you opt into, not an algorithm. [3] Herd aims to be a more authentic social networking experience due to its lack in metrics based feedback, ad free experience, and user control. [2]
Reception
In June 2021, MIT Technology Review published an article on why "A feminist internet would be better for everyone," [9] with Herd at the center of the story. The article depicts the realities of being a female on the internet today, and what a healthier internet could look like.
Vox published an article on Herd titled "Have You Herd? New app hopes to change social media culture," which highlights the co-founders beliefs that "social media doesn’t have to be toxic, it’s just always been designed that way". [2]
References
- ↑ "Wie können wir Social Media reparieren, Mady Dewey und Ali Howard?" (in de-DE). 2021-02-17. https://sheconomy.media/wie-koennen-wir-social-media-reparieren-mady-dewey-und-ali-howard/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Stephens, Sophie. "Have you Herd? New app hopes to change social media culture" (in en). https://www.voxmagazine.com/have-you-herd-new-app-hopes-to-change-social-media-culture/article_c2608928-d298-11eb-9ac3-b7400ef6e888.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lucero, Sydney (2021-02-03). "Herd: The First Female-Fueled Social Media Platform - UPDATE" (in en-US). https://gravityjunction.com/herd-the-first-female-fueled-social-media-platform/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "We studied 50+ startups on TikTok and here's what we found" (in en-US). 2021-01-27. https://li-jin.co/2021/01/27/we-studied-50-startups-on-tiktok-and-heres-what-we-found/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Why I am Beyond Ready for Herd to Hit the App Stores" (in en-US). 2021-01-21. https://www.hercampus.com/school/mizzou/why-i-am-beyond-ready-herd-hit-app-stores/.
- ↑ "Poparazzi hypes itself to the top of the App Store" (in en-US). https://social.techcrunch.com/2021/05/26/poparazzi-hypes-itself-to-the-top-of-the-app-store/.
- ↑ lindsay, kate (2021-07-24). "The social media app that wants you to log off". https://embedded.substack.com/p/the-social-media-app-that-wants-you.
- ↑ "Depression in girls linked to higher use of social media" (in en). 2019-01-04. http://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/04/depression-in-girls-linked-to-higher-use-of-social-media.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "A feminist internet would be better for everyone" (in en). https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/04/01/1020478/feminist-internet-culture-activist-harassment-herd-signal/.
External links
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