Former President Donald Trump recently released his own social media platform, Truth Social.
Defined by truthsocial.com, the app is America’s “big tent” social media platform that encourages an open, free and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology.
The app’s goal is “to fight against a perceived woke culture, and less about content moderation or accessibility.”
The idea of the “big tent” analog is meant to represent diversity.
According to its store description, Truth Social is meant to feel like “a giant outdoor event tent at your best friend’s wedding. Who’s there? The combination of multiple families from all over the world. They’re all together to have an amazing time and share their different viewpoints on the world.”
The app was released on Feb. 21 in the Apple store and is coming soon to Google Play. The app uses a similar structure to Twitter. Users create their own profiles and are able to follow other users, like posts, reshare and upload their own statuses.
However, instead of being called “posts,” the statuses are called “truths.”
Key features of the app include user profiles, the “truth feed” and the search engine.
The app is currently rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on the Apple app store and is free to users.
“I think the app is a good idea because it exists in contention with what is referred to as the ‘tyranny of big tech,’” said Lillian McConnell, junior political science major.
Big tech, also known as the ‘Big 4,’ is the nickname for the four most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the U.S.: Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta (Facebook).
“Big tech social media platforms are policing free speech and self-contradicting the very purpose they were created to serve,” adds McConnell.
Dillon McGowan, freshman political science major, disagrees.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for a former and potentially future presidential candidate to have his own social media platform,” McGowan said. “It makes the app biased because the audience knows who they are in support of by using it. It keeps us from being able to challenge our own beliefs.”
On the other hand, McConnell said that knowing who created the app will make it easier for users to decide whether or not to get it.
“An advantage to the creator of Truth Social being infamous is that users are aware of the possible intentions which inspired the creation of the app,” McConnell said.
Michael Marse, assistant professor of communication studies, offers advice to students debating which social media to use.
“Make sure to be mindful about the limitations and overall mindsets,” Marse said. “All consumers need to be educated, and students should attempt to match their audience with their career goals.
“At the end of the day, all social media is really an echo chamber and it is up to you to challenge your own beliefs and broaden your point of view. Make sure to get your information from multiple sources, not just one app or from your friends.”
