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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

3 clusters · 7 sources · 10 days · First seen · Last updated

Rise of slow-messaging mobile applications

Overview

The release of Carrier Pidge, a mobile application developed by Noah Iarrobino, has initiated a trend in ‘slow social media’ and digital nostalgia. The app uses virtual carrier pigeons to deliver messages at speeds determined by real-world GPS distances, with international delivery potentially taking several days.

To simulate historical communication, the app features a parchment-style interface and includes a 0.2% chance of a pigeon dying mid-flight, which results in the permanent loss of the message. This concept has expanded into a broader trend involving other platforms like Roost Social, which allows users to send messages via various animals such as snails or penguins, sometimes taking up to a month to arrive.

This ‘slow tech’ movement, which deliberately introduces friction into digital communication, has gained significant traction. Carrier Pidge has grown to over 75,000 users since its launch, while Roost has reached 650,000 downloads. Researchers suggest this shift may be a response to the mental tax of constant notifications and excessive technology reliance, a concern shared by 80% of Gen Z adults according to a 2023 survey.

Entities

Carrier Pidge · Logan Mendelsohn · Noah Iarrobino · Roost Social · Roost

Timeline

  1. 20 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Slow tech apps gain popularity by delaying digital messages

    New ‘slow tech’ apps like Carrier Pidge and Roost are gaining popularity by intentionally delaying digital messages to reduce the mental strain of instant notifications.

  2. 25 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Carrier Pidge and Roost Social lead viral slow-messaging trend

    New slow-messaging apps Carrier Pidge and Roost Social are gaining popularity by simulating the slow delivery of messages via virtual animals like pigeons, bats, and snails.

  3. 29 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Carrier Pidge app uses virtual pigeons to slow digital messaging

    Noah Iarrobino has developed Carrier Pidge, a satirical messaging app that uses virtual carrier pigeons to deliver texts based on real GPS distances, promoting a ‘slow social media’ experience.

Sources

abbtakk.tv · arynews.tv · dailyguardian.ae · dimsumdaily.hk · generation-nt.com · petapixel.com · rbfirehose.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history