Go

A new social media app launched in Auckland on Monday. Go is “designed to get people off their phones and socialising in real life.” Their mission is all about connecting people, privacy protection, and bubble-bursting, and all of this sounds quite delightful. Auckland is the first city for Go mainly because it is one of the few places in the world where it is safe for people to do the thing that this app wants people to do: socialising in real life with each other. (Originally the app was going to launch in Portland, but the team has a presence in Auckland and Barcelona as well. Covid made Auckland the best city to test in.)

I decided to download the app and give it a test drive to see what it is all about because I really, really like the idea of using technology to increase real world activities, and I’d love to find a way to get off of Facebook and stay connected. Signing up was easy. I downloaded the app and began the straightforward sign up process. The first step is to verify your phone number. The second is to pick a username and provide your name (first name only works) and birthday (no one under 18 is allowed in).

The next part was different than your typical social media set up. They have four life categories - culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and physical - and ask for you to provide information on which type of activities within those categories you are interested in.

This part was the first part where I have to scratch my head and wonder what kind of market research they did. Where are the things parents do? Under culture, I want to see “Kid Friendly Activities” as an option. Under lifestyle, I want them to recognize something beyond childbirth. Maybe “Family life” or “Surviving toddlers” or possibly “Perpetual chauffeur for little people.” I’d also love to see an option for the times of the week you’re looking for different opportunities to socialize. I’d love to meet with someone for coffee at 10:30 in the morning, but I can guarantee that any recommendation for an event at 5 pm on a Thursday isn’t going to get a second look. Don’t put stuff in my feed that I’ll never be able to attend. That will only increase my FOMO.

However, I hadn’t yet seen the app in action at this point, so I didn’t quite understand how this information would be used. The last part was to grant access to my contacts to see which friends of mine are on Go. It appears that you need to be a friend in real life to connect on this platform. Since I’m just exploring at this point, I declined to share my entire contact list with Go. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable sharing that ever, and that means that I will miss out on a good chunk of the function of Go (I think).

Once I was through the initial set up, I was finally able to explore and see how it all works. My first impression is that this is the lovechild of Meetup, Stories, and Eventfinda. Companies can post their events, and if they fit your interests, then you’ll see a title image with basic info. Swipe through the image, and in a Stories-like setup, you’ll get more details and a harder “sell” to attend the event. People can indicate they are going and comment to show interest. This function is legitimately useful. I love discovering new activities around Auckland, and this format is fun and engaging. I’m a fan.

Secondly, individuals can also set up events or just let their community know what they’re up to. You can Make Plans and use their tool to create a snazzy, bespoke image(s) to make your event look fun enough for someone to want to join you. There is a basic template that can be customized with text, images, and colors. For those who are very graphically-inclined and aesthetics-obsessed, this part will be a lot of fun and a big part of the draw. I understand that the point is to encourage your friends to come and meet you, but I’m concerned that this will only perpetuate this idea that everyone else is living these fabulous lives full of fun activities while I’m scrolling through pictures locked in my bathroom and hiding from my kids.

There’s also the option to let people know when you can get together. This sounds great in theory, but it looks like it requires a lot of forethought to maintain and be accurate. There is no way I will remember to turn “available to hang now” off an on appropriately. This feature definitely feels like it is meant for a younger, hipper, less encumbered demographic.

If/when this app becomes widely adopted, then it could be fun to use to meet up with other SAHMs (stay at home moms for those of you not in the club) when I have a random hour free on a Thursday morning. I think that would be amazing if took off and people actually used it like it is clearly intended. However, I don’t know if it does enough cool, different things to grab much of the Facebook mindshare. Facebook already shows me events around town that I might be interested in. It also lets me share where I am and how fun it is with my friends in the same attempt to get them to join me. However, I’m all for something that may someday replace Facebook and its sketchy business model, so I’ll give Go a shot. My username is Mash if you want to join me.