This week YurOn, a new type of social media platform, launches to the public.
Social media is leaving us more isolated, polarised and unfulfilled than ever before. As these social media dynasties grow, the problem is only exacerbated. In the words of Alex Roetter (ex-Twitter engineer – The Social Dilemma), “you can’t put the genie back in the bottle”.
YurOn connects people in a way that is collaborative and curiosity-driven – it’s a remedy for relentless and unfulfilling scrolling.
It all starts with a question, which anyone in the YurOn community can reply to, creating a collaborative video thread. Thousands of people from different walks of life – drag queens, mountaineers, activists – have thirty seconds to ignite a conversation, start an Ask Me Anything or co-create a skit.
There are no filters, vanity metrics or validation-driven algorithms. Instead, YurOn thrives off authenticity which encourages people – not hollow profiles – to connect.
And it’s working: users spend more time on YurOn than Twitter per day and have already created more than 5,000 videos with 100,000 views.
YurOn user Kaia Kaemmerlen said that she loves using YurOn to “see life through other people’s eyes. I’ve met ballet dancers, people who live on houseboats, environmental activists and DJs. It’s about connecting with real people living real lives – not fake, airbrushed lives that pretend to be perfect.”
That’s the essence of YurOn: providing a platform for users to connect in an authentic and creative way, rewarding curiosity with community.
YurOn is also developing new ways for video creators to monetise their threads, with a tipping feature and purchasable exclusive content. Posts are asynchronous, meaning there’s no need to schedule; rather, users can connect with and grow their communities at their own pace, meaning YurOn’s potential as a creative, educational, energising and authentic app is limitless.
YurOn stats:
- Soft launched in Q2 2020 with pioneer testers/users
- 17% of YurOn users upload content
- 32% of accounts are still using YurOn a month after signing up
- Investors include Betfair co-founder
- Influencers with significant followings on social media (each between 400K and >1M) are also active on YurOn (e.g. @raindovemodel, @omarsamra)
“YurOn is the place where raw curiosity and co-creation rule over individualism. More than ever, people desire authentic interactions that are more rewarding than the mere one-way street that existing social media apps offer. YurOn allows people to engage in a back and forth discussion via video threads – so you interact with the person in a ‘real’ and transparent way, not hidden behind a username or fake account. We believe video is a special medium; it carries more emotion and allows more empathy. And that’s what makes YurOn different.” Said YurOn CEO, Marine Mallinson.
