However, this isn’t the only type of social media.
Cataloging social media platforms such as Letterboxd, Backloggd, and alternatives put the focus on a specific topic, such as video games or films amongst other forms of media. These cataloging apps are a better type of social media for multiple reasons.
Greater Freedom Over Anonymity
While you can maintain an anonymous presence on some social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, generally speaking, a lot of the big social media platforms require you to be an identifiable person behind the account; particularly in the cases of Facebook and LinkedIn.
With cataloging social media platforms such as Letterboxd, Backloggd, and Goodreads, there is no need for that at all. Since these platforms are based on reviewing, rating, and listing forms of media, they offer much more freedom over anonymity.
There’s less of a need to have a username, bio, and profile picture that reflects you as a person, meaning you can engage without losing your anonymity. There are multiple important reasons why you need online anonymity, and social media apps such as Letterboxd and others allow you to participate without infringing on this need.
Points of Conversation
If you connect with friends from real life on cataloging apps, these platforms can help spur you on to more conversations in real life of common interests.
Seeing the 900th selfie of the year from one of your friends on Instagram does very little in the way of giving you both something to talk about. On the other hand, coming across their review of the latest Marvel film on Letterboxd would give you a point of conversation when you next see each other.
Cataloging apps arguably do a better job of social media’s original intention (to help people connect and socialize over long distances) than the traditional platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and others currently do.
Cataloging Apps Are Less Vanity Based
It’s no secret that social media tends to bring out vanity in its users. It’s also no secret that social media tends to make people feel inferior to their peers or as if their life is not as good. Instagram, for instance, puts a lot of focus on how you look or what items you have due to it being based around pictures.
On the other hand, cataloging apps are much less vanity based, which means you don’t have that problem with them. Reading a list of someone’s favorite strategy games on Backloggd would never make you feel inferior, whereas seeing an old frenemy posting pictures of them on holiday in the Caribbean while you’re stuck at work could very well get you feeling negative.
These cataloging apps also have no way for you to post an image of yourself or something you own, which helps you avoid falling into the traps of seeking validation that social media so often incites in its users.
Less Heated Discussion
It’s no secret that people are hugely divided on big issues such as politics, climate change, and much more all across the globe. It could be argued that social media can largely be attributed to that because of the way algorithms prioritize controversial content due to its “popularity.”
The prevalence of political arguments online is one of the most obvious negative effects of social media on society.
When it comes to cataloging social media platforms such as Letterboxd, there is much less room for heated discussion. You’re likely to come across an opposing opinion about a film you love, for instance, but a discussion on that would be much less heated than a discussion about politics.
More Fun and Purposeful
While there isn’t much purpose in using social media if you don’t use it for professional purposes, there is arguably much more purpose in using catalog-based social media for your leisure than there is in using Twitter, Facebook, and other similar platforms. There’s a lot more fun to be had using the best video game tracker apps to manage your game collection than scrolling a bunch of random thoughts from people you barely speak to on Facebook.
With cataloging apps, you’re able to express your thoughts and opinions on a particular game, TV show, film, and other similar items and keep track of the media you consume and where it ranks for you. If you’re that way inclined, it can be fun to share your thoughts on what you thought about a specific book and how it compares to other books in a series, for instance.
In addition, following people on these platforms can help in finding the next book, game, or movie to go for if a particular user has similar tastes to you. On Facebook, your feed is likely to be inundated with pictures of babies of people you stopped caring about years ago, political opinions you heavily disagree with from distant family members, and more useless and irritating content that doesn’t offer any fun or purpose.
Lack of Advertisements
Big social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are littered with advertisements based on the interests you feed to the algorithm. On apps such as Letterboxd, Backloggd, and alternatives, there are much fewer advertisements, if any at all.
It’s no secret that advertisements annoy the majority of people and feel like spam, getting in the way of the actual content you go on the platform to find. Switching to using cataloging social media platforms as your main type is a quick and easy way to ensure you avoid these types of advertisements and spend more time with the content that actually matters to you.
Switch to Cataloging Social Media for a Better Experience
Cataloging-based social media platforms offer you a better experience and put the fun back into social media. There are tons of options for you to try. While all of these apps have very similar user interfaces and features, some are more popular than others. Find the best one for you, and you’ll soon see the benefit of this type of social media.
Despite the division and time-sink that social media causes, there are many reasons why it’s actually good for you. You just have to be more diligent in ensuring you only participate on the platforms that are positive for you.
