Wendy Mei of Playsee: 5 Things We Can Each Do To Make Social Media And The Internet A Kinder And More Tolerant Place
Be selective of the type of social media that you want to engage in. We don’t need to be on every single platform. Select one that reflects your values and how you want to engage with the world.
As a part of my interview series about the things we can each do to make social media and the internet a kinder and more tolerant place, I had the pleasure to interview Wendy Mei, Head of Product & Strategy at Playsee.
Wendy Mei grew up in the U.S. and attended Carnegie Mellon University — Tepper School of Business. Currently, Wendy is Head of Product & Strategy at Playsee, a popular video sharing social media app with an interactive map and a unique, unfiltered approach to content and video.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I grew up in the U.S. and attended Carnegie Mellon University — Tepper School of Business. Currently, I’m Head of Product & Strategy at Playsee, a popular video sharing social media app with an interactive map and a unique, unfiltered approach to content and video.
I have always been an avid social media user, and working at Playsee has broadened my understanding of the industry and the potential we have to influence people’s experiences online. The current social landscape can feel distant and unattainable because it doesn’t accurately represent how most people live their lives. Playsee’s mission is to empower everyone to feel seen and heard and bring a more authentic form of social media to life.
I joined the company because I believe in the mission and the potential of creating a new social experience that is more inclusive and that can positively change the way that we interact online.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
An interesting work-related story: I was responsible for building Playsee’s ads platform, and we realized that ad systems available in the current market are far too complex and difficult for businesses without digital marketing experiences to navigate. So my objective was to simplify the process and make online ads more accessible to small business owners. It was an exciting moment when we got our first client, who was a carpet cleaner from Florida. His success with using our ads to grow his business validated our approach.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
During my first week at Playsee, I was invited to attend a product meeting. I was really curious and asked many direct questions about the platform and its mission. Reflecting on my comments, I think I might have been too outspoken with my opinions. However, I realized that sharing different perspectives is key to sparking new ideas and solutions to improve our product. At Playsee, we welcome everyone’s ideas and remain a flat structure, which I think is the recipe to the company’s success!
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Right now we’re working on “Ask Nearby,” a popular new feature for requesting and sharing recommendations on travel, restaurants, date night spots and more.
The new addition to the platform invites users to ask a question anywhere on the interactive map, and allows them to connect with other users around the globe who can answer. To initiate a question, a user simply has to tap on the map, select their desired location, and post a question. Other users may browse through and answer questions through video or text replies.
Despite all the buzz about the Metaverse, I believe Playsee users still value sharing and connecting with what is real. I think Ask Nearby will further enhance the user experience within the app and help people discover new cafes, restaurants, bars, activities and experiences in their own neighborhoods and regions as well as abroad — whether it’s for solo adventures, girls’ night out, date night or things to do with family and friends.
For example, have you ever wondered which deep-dish pizza the locals in Chicago love the most, or how to get the best scuba diving instructor while you’re in the Maldives? With Ask Nearby, now you can get the answers — straight from the sources who live, work and play in and nearby these areas.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. Have you ever been publicly shamed or embarrassed on social media? Can you share with our readers what that experience felt like?
While I have not experienced public shaming or embarrassment on social media, I can empathize with people that may have been negatively affected by online attacks.
Have you ever posted a comment on social media that you regretted because you felt it was too harsh or mean?
No
When one reads the comments on YouTube or Instagram, or the trending topics on Twitter, a great percentage of them are critical, harsh, and hurtful. The people writing the comments may feel like they are simply tapping buttons on a keyboard, but to the one on the receiving end of the comment, it is very different. This may be intuitive, but I feel that it will be instructive to spell it out. Can you help illustrate to our readers what the recipient of a public online critique might be feeling?
Bullying and hate speech are an epidemic on big social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. People may feel shocked by an intentionally hurtful or nasty comment on one of their own social media pages. In the worst-case scenario, online bullying can result in tragic consequences.
It’s important to note that bullying isn’t the only reason why people feel down after using social media. In a recent survey of social media users, the Playsee team discovered that 33% of users strongly agree that they feel a negative shift in their overall mood after being on social media for long periods of time. We believe that people are burned out and sick of issues related to traditional social media platforms, including toxic body image, hate speech and misinformation, and overall detriments to their mental health. Our survey also found that 45% of users plan to unfollow accounts that make them feel down, and 56% plan to follow more accounts that inspire and uplift them in the next year — proving that people are interested in a better way to consume content and interact online.
Playsee is rising to the challenge. The app has a unique, unfiltered approach to content and video and has quickly become very popular with social media users who are looking for a more authentic experience online. Since launching in the U.S. market, the platform has started to fill the authenticity gap in social media and fosters a healthier mindset among users — which is crucial amid the stress of the ongoing pandemic.
Do you think a verbal online attack feels worse or less bad than a verbal argument in “real life”? How are the two different?
A verbal online attack that is purposefully designed to hurt or shame someone is unique in the delivery, which is typically very different from an in-person verbal argument in real life. An online attack is often far bolder and more direct, yet the recipient’s feelings of shame, anger and hurt are just the same, if not more intense than after an in-person verbal altercation. Online attacks are designed to be so hurtful because of the attacker’s courage that comes from knowing they can verbally hurt someone without having to face any repercussions or take accountability.
What long term effects can happen to someone who was shamed online?
Being shamed in general is one of the experiences and feelings that can cause lasting emotional trauma for a person, and when this happens on social media or in an online forum — places where there’s no ability for a person to gain justice after an attack — the experience and feeling can be isolating. Although experts are continuing to research the lasting effects of negative online interactions in particular, it’s clear that shame is directly linked to depression and anxiety. As we continue to navigate emerging social media apps, it’s up to us to determine what kinds of platforms we want to use — and I’m hopeful that collectively, we’ll choose to avoid platforms where users seem to promote and encourage hate speech, misinformation, and shaming.
Many people who troll others online, or who leave harsh comments, can likely be kind and sweet people in “real life”. These people would likely never publicly shout at someone in a room filled with 100 people. Yet, on social media, when you embarrass someone, you are doing it in front of thousands of even millions of people, and it is out there forever. Can you give 3 or 4 reasons why social media tends to bring out the worst in people; why people are meaner online than they are in person?
I can give a few reasons why social media can sometimes bring out the worst in people.
The current titans of traditional social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube — build algorithms that are intended to maximize screen time, resulting in overly similar feeds and curated content. Certain algorithms create feeds that feel like a never-ending popularity contest, and social media users can find that exhausting to keep up with. Social media savvy users who understand how to work the algorithms are incentivized to create content that gets the most engagement, even at the cost of hurting or offending others. I think people are meaner online because online actions are easier to deliver and they don’t have to directly confront the person they are hurting.
Also, we’re overdoing it on screen time. The pandemic gave folks a lot more alone time and downtime at home to doom scroll on apps. We recently did a study that showed that 65% of social media users reported one or more hours of increased screen time during the pandemic, and 30% reported three or more increased hours of screen time from the start of COVID. Social media has become such a large part of our lives and yet many people aren’t using it to prompt offline connections, conversations, adventures and discoveries. On Playsee, however, users are discovering and sharing new cafes, restaurants, bars, and activities in addition to travel destinations — and then having these experiences and visiting these places in real life. With Playsee, time spent on in-app discovery is leading users to real life adventures with friends.
It’s important to note that social media doesn’t have to be an inauthentic or negative place. It can still be a place for connection and inspiration. It can be a place where social media users can seek out authentic content and learn about what new experiences and destinations are like — without being deceived by curated content. At Playsee we normalize a more casual format for social media, inviting more authentic content and creating a more positive space for our users.
If you had the power to influence thousands of people about how to best comment and interact online, what would you suggest to them? What are your “5 things we should each do to help make social media and the internet, a kinder and more tolerant place”? Can you give a story or an example for each?
- Be selective of the type of social media that you want to engage in. We don’t need to be on every single platform. Select one that reflects your values and how you want to engage with the world.
- Share daily moments in your life to encourage more authenticity and representation in the social space — people want to see this too! A survey conducted by Playsee found that 86% of social media users want to see less filtered and more authentic content that more closely reflects daily, real-life experiences.
- Be mindful of your actions online and their potential impact on others.
- Keep it fun. Your life on social media doesn’t have to portray a perfect lifestyle.
- Remain open to learning about different cultures, cuisines, destinations, and ways of life online. The more diversity that we see on our social media feeds, the more meaningful conversations and interactions (both online and off) we can have to learn from and about one another.
Freedom of speech prohibits censorship in the public square. Do you think that applies to social media? Do American citizens have a right to say whatever they want within the confines of a social media platform owned by a private enterprise?
As social media becomes more intertwined with the way people communicate and connect with each other, it has the power to influence and disseminate information at a large scale. This means that social media companies hold a great responsibility to create a safe space for their users.
If you had full control over Facebook or Twitter, which specific changes would you make to limit harmful or hurtful attacks?
While I cannot speak on behalf of the actions of Facebook or Twitter, I know that at Playsee, we take the safety of our users very seriously and employ multiple check-point systems to secure our platform.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” In 2016, I visited the Robben Island Prison where Nelson Mandela was held, and it inspired me to learn more about his experiences. His beliefs inspired me to do my best in everything I do, whether it is in my career or in my personal life.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would love to have lunch with our first client! To me, our users are not just another number in the algorithm. I want to learn more about how our product can positively influence their lives or business. If I had the chance to sit down with our first Playsee Ads client, I would ask him about his carpet-cleaning company, his customers, and what more we can do to help his business grow.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Follow me on Playsee! @wendymmm
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Wendy Mei of Playsee: 5 Things We Can Each Do To Make Social Media And The Internet A Kinder And… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.