モジは新しいソーシャルメディアアプリで、必要としない人々向けです。

Many people have tried to replace Twitter/X, but only a few new social media apps have gained significant influence, with Threads and Bluesky attracting particular attention. However, the new app created by Ev Williams, Twitter's co-founder, does not intend to replace them. Instead, it aims to realize one of the key features of social media that I value and leave the rest unchanged... Williams argues that social media is "falling into the trap of being merely 'social'."

During the era of Facebook's popularity, it may have accurately reflected many people's real-life relationships. It provided information about the people you knew, where they lived, and various other details. However, social networks evolved into 'social media,' meaning they initially received content from the people you chose to listen to. But in the competition to maximize engagement, timelines of friends and people you want to follow became a crowded battlefield. As a result, most people found influencers more entertaining than their friends.

So, social media has become...media.

I can relate to that experience. When a social group planned a meeting on a platform, I joined Facebook far away. Initially, I was very conservative about adding Facebook friends, keeping them limited to my real-world friends. However, it became the best or the only way for me to know what was happening in groups I was interested in, so I quickly abandoned that process. Today, I have casual friends I see only once a year and Facebook friends I've never met. However, what I appreciate is the method of promoting real encounters. I've often posted about travels, and my friends have messaged me saying, 'I'm there too, let's meet.' The same goes for when I see their posts. This led to meals with friends in far-off places like Borneo, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Davos, and Tokyo. And that's what Mozi is about.

Mozi's (today) main value proposition is simple. It lets you know when your acquaintances are in the same place (city or event). And the goal is clear. It's about connecting with important people frequently andactually. For example, I recently returned from Mirame. Before going, I wrote down my plan (city and how many days) in Mozi. This information was shared only with my contacts (excluding anyone I didn't want to share it with). So, before I went, I could see my friends who live there and other friends I would visit, and we could meet and make plans together.

That's it. No posts or photos. Just real locations and plans. This app prioritizes privacy. Mozi shares contacts to confirm who you know, but the data is encrypted, and the company does not use it for any other purpose. Only mutual contacts can view location/plan information. So far, Mozi has only released software to a limited audience, which is why it's not surprising that no one is using it yet. However, unlike Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon, I don't continue to use the username after getting it. But I did install Mozi. The problem of there being no new social media apps for people to use and, consequently, no one using the app is something I'll have to see if it gets resolved. Mozi is currently only available for iOS and supports sign-in with Apple ID only. Image: Mozi