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I built a social platform to experiment with escaping algorithm bubbles, curious on what you guys think
Posted by on March 4, 2026 at 4:17 amOne thing that has bothered me about modern social media is how strongly algorithms shape what we see.
Most platforms optimize for engagement, which often ends up creating echo chambers. Over time you mostly see content that reinforces the same viewpoints, and conversations across perspectives become rarer.
I’ve been wondering if the structure of the feed itself is the problem.
So I started building a small experiment called Civic.
The idea is simple: instead of one algorithmic feed, the platform is organized around perspectives (we call them “lenses”).
The same posts can appear under different lenses like(according to how they were labeled):
- Philosophy
- Economics
- Technology
- Politics
- Culture
So instead of the algorithm deciding what worldview you see, you can intentionally switch perspectives and explore the same conversations through different lenses. You can create as many lenses as needed.
The goal is to see whether giving people control over perspective instead of engagement-driven feeds might lead to healthier discussions.
We launched recently and I’m already noticing something interesting:
People sign up and browse, but very few create posts themselves at first. Once a few discussions start though, people begin replying more.
It feels like there’s a strong “empty room effect” in new social communities.
I’m curious what people here think:
- Do you think perspective-based feeds could improve discussions?
- For those who have built communities before, what actually gets people to create the first conversations?
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1 Reply
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Where can I try it out?
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interesting concept. do you only have these default lenses? What if i want to see something else?
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