Supernova is a new app that has now gone live on the Apple and Android app stores, billing itself as a new “ethical alternative” to Instagram and Facebook, where most of the ad revenues go to charities.
In the face of behemoths like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, which have been widely criticized, particularly by younger generations, for their lack of moderation, Supernova CEO and founder Dominic O'Meara aims to appeal to Generation Z by putting charities at the center and attract advertising revenue that benefits them. Dominic previously worked in the world of advertising through the prestigious agency Saatchi.
Another aspect that stands out especially since Supernova is its plans for the prevention of toxicity in this social network, aiming to create a place where the user feels safe and secure, being encouraged to maintain a positive and inspiring interaction with their friends, without having to witness hate speech, racism, homophobia or extreme political positions.
Users can share photos and videos, being able to add comments and send private messages. The user account can also be set to private to restrict unwanted interactions.
While Instagram has been accused of fostering complexes in young girls, “Supernova” describes itself as the “positive” alternative, a place where users will be able to feel “safe, secure and encouraged to have positive, inspiring, life-affirming interaction with their friends… without having to witness and endure hate, racism, homophobia and extreme politics.”
According to the app’s charter, moderation will, for the time being, only rely on human beings and not artificial intelligence, with the exception of their own Ted bot whose function has not yet been clearly explained.
Supernova has also chosen to call “Likes” by the term “Thanks” for more positivity. Users will also be able to get “Supernovas,” “likes” equivalent to ten times the value of a normal “Like,” by using the application more.
The application, which resembles a mix between Instagram and TikTok, allows users to post photos and videos, comment on content and have access to private messaging.
Users can create groups, subscribe or block users, make their account private and access a tab to discover other content across various themes on the platform.
While such tools are already widely offered on other social networks, Supernova stands out especially by giving users the opportunity to select a charity that they want to support with the money earned on the platform.
