Plag: A New Way In Social Media

Plag is changing the whole idea of how social media should work.

The Social Media Platform that I decided to explore on my cellphone was Plag. Before this assignment, I had never heard of Plag, and was excited to start exploring it. I don’t know of anyone who has ever used this app. Since it’s anonymous, there’s no way for me to find out if anyone I know uses it. Plag can be used however you want it to. You can post videos, pictures, quotes or any thoughts or ideas you feel are worth sharing.

A post on Twitter is considered a “tweet” while a post on Plag is considered a “card.” These cards are actively seen for seven days until they expire. When a person “swipes up” on your card, it gets sent out to users in different areas and can continue to be passed on through them. This it what sets apart Plag from other social medias. People have the power to determine what should be passed on and what shouldn’t be. Since it isn’t based on how many followers you have or social status, everyone has a fair chance at being heard. The users have a say on what’s significant and what isn’t.

Something unique about Plag is how incredibly simple it is. You’re given one post at a time, and if you don’t like it you swipe down on it, if you like it and think it should be spread to more people you swipe up! I like this feature because it isn’t overwhelming. It allows you to focus on what’s in front of you and really process whether or not it applies to you. When using other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest my focus is split in several different directions. I tend to spend so much time jumping from one post to the next that I end up getting nothing out of it. With Plag, your always getting something new and exciting. People from all over the world with different backgrounds and cultures are using this app, so you can always expect to come across different.

I was surprised to see how much my cards had spread. Didn’t expect them to receive nearly this much attention.

I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited about Plag right away. The fact that it was anonymous, and could be spread all around the world left me feeling unsure of where to start. But once I put myself out there, I haven’t been able to stop using it. It was a rush to see how fast my cards were being spread and infecting areas all over the world. You can track the progress of your cards by seeing where it has spread to on a global map which makes the experience even more enjoyable. That’s not something you can see with Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

The fact that people all over the world used this made me a bit doubtful. Considering the number of people that use this app, I thought it would be hard to stand out. I doubted whether my “cards” would even have the opportunity to be “infected”. I ended up learning that in a large audience, there will always be people who can relate to what you’re saying.

It was so nice to see some feedback from one of my posts. Someone put in their time and effort to contribute to one of my thoughts. Very cool.

Will it stick around?

Plag is just getting started, literally. It’s only a year old and it’s already fairly well known. The app hasn’t received as much attention as Snapchat or Instagram, but it has the potential to become extremely popular. I believe this based on my own personal experience with it. It’s fun, unique, simple and extremely addictive. Once you use it, your infected and there’s no turning back. Trust me.