I remember the good old days when social media promised to be an information utopia that would connect everyone, give the common person a voice, and bring about a greater sense of community. I even wondered if it would bring peace to the world after the Arab Spring. We all know how the story ends, however. Social media has effectively contributed to the opposite outcome. We are more disconnected and polarized than ever, and there is no doubt social media shares the blame.
Marshall McLuhan famously said “the medium is the message,” and it’s possible that social media will always corrupt by its very nature. However, I like what I’m seeing from some of the post-Twitter startups, particularly Bluesky. I haven’t been this excited about social media in years. Here are some reasons why:
1. You Can Construct Your Own Experience
Social media companies hide their algorithms and fine-tune them to expose users to advertising. They have an interest in causing dopamine spikes to keep users engaged, which inevitably leads to feeds full of sensational and polarized content. By contrast, Bluesky lets you follow any number of feeds and even create your own. You construct the algorithm to deliver the content that matters most to you.
It doesn’t stop there. Bluesky’s entire business model is built around letting third parties create algorithms you can use to do interesting things. This is a community project, with you in control.
2. You Can Invite Your People Through Feeds
Aboundant has already created three feeds we’d invite you to follow:
The process took about 40 minutes to learn and complete. If these feeds become popular, it will help Aboundant stay at the center of the conversation in our industry. You can do the same by either creating a new feed or investing in existing ones. Now is the time to create your feed. Even if there is an existing feed with a few followers, you can create your own and bring it to prominence by getting your followers to follow it.
3. It Can Be Tailored For Local Organizations like Churches
Unlike Twitter, which never really worked well for location-based nonprofits, you can create and administer channels for your town and invite your people to add themselves to the channel, allowing you to truly create a digital town square.
4. It’s “Federated,” Meaning You Can Leave and Take Your Data with You
Bluesky doesn’t own your data. At any time, you can pick up your profile and posts and move to a completely new server, or even create your own server. The new brand of social media is referred to as the “Fediverse.”
For what it’s worth, Instagram has a plan to also move to a federated model, but it’s using a different protocol than Bluesky, their version of the Mastodon protocol. I prefer the Bluesky protocol (Atproto) because it centers the user instead of the server.
5. The Company Is Doing the Right Things
First, Bluesky’s CEO is a young woman of color from Tulsa who is uniquely qualified to run the company. Bluesky was incorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation, meaning they are responsible to a social benefit, just as much as they are to profit. I was also happy to learn that their team makes decisions by consensus.
These cultural underpinnings are the exact opposite of Meta and X. Bluesky’s business model is derived from community participation in the form of third-party development, instead of ads. The community is building it and being rewarded for the work. If the community discovers a universally good feature, it will likely get integrated into the whole.
Disclaimer: I’ve Been Burnt Before
I really owe Sherry Turkle an apology. She wrote several prominent books on the dangers of social media long before they were realized. I was the opposite and could only see the promise. As far as I can tell, she hasn’t weighed in on Bluesky, but I do think some of her critiques will still apply.
Social media, as a social experiment, is largely a failure so far, and it’s not clear how Bluesky will meet the challenge. However, I expect their open system to have more potential than the establishment.
There is also the question of whether Bluesky will reach critical mass. It has just crossed 25 million users, so it might be getting close. They boast engagement numbers that far surpass any other network.
Final Thoughts
By enabling users to construct their own feeds, supporting federated data ownership, and building a business model centered on collaborative development, Bluesky offers a radical reimagining of social media’s potential. Unlike traditional social networks that prioritize engagement through sensationalism and division, Bluesky seems committed to creating a more intentional, user-driven space that could help rebuild the original promise of social media: genuine connection and meaningful conversation.
Of course, the road to transforming social media is long and fraught with challenges. While Bluesky’s approach is innovative and its early signs are encouraging, only time will tell whether it can truly overcome the systemic issues that have plagued social platforms. Yet, for nonprofits, religious organizations, and individuals seeking a more transparent and empowering digital community, Bluesky represents a beacon of hope—a potential blueprint for a more ethical and user-centric social media ecosystem that respects individual agency and fosters genuine human connection.
We’re excited to join Bluesky and what it means for the future of a more inclusive digital world. Join us there!