PebblAn IoT Social Media AlternativeWhat is Pebbl?
Pebbl is an IoT object given between close friends as a way for them to connect in a more intimate digital environment. Users can change the colour of their Pebbl by updating their mood status on their phones. Anyone who has received your Pebbl will be able to see your mood changing instantly. Instead of telling your high school alumnus and strings of random tinder dates that you’re feeling sad, just tell the people who matter… with colourful lights! How do you get a Pebbl? The only way to receive someone’s Pebbl is if they give it you, much like the ritual of the Gentoo penguin who gives a pebble to its love interest. Once you receive a Pebbl, it can be placed in a ‘Pebbl Garden’ alongside the Pebbls of those most important to you. When you change your emotion on your Pebbl app, anyone who has been given your Pebbl will be able to see the colour change in their garden. Your close friends and family will be able to witness your changing emotions and feelings and be able to adjust their communication with you accordingly. For example, if you see that your close friend’s Pebbl has changed to a blue colour representing sadness, you can reach out to them and ask how they are feeling or how you can cheer them up. In our superficial internet worlds, it’s hard to know how people truly feel behind their screens. It’s also a bit of a bummer to call someone up and say ‘Hey, I’m sad, can we talk about it?’ Let your Pebbl tell them instead! Pebbl was a project exploring the connection between social media usage and mental health disorders. As a child, I was always fascinated by Tamagotchis and talking toys. It would have been cool if my friends were the ones controlling what my toys were saying! Isn’t that a strange idea? Having an intimate user experience with your close friends in the form of an LED penguin rock may be a way humans connect with each other in the future. I’m a true believer that no idea is a bad idea and I would love to see how Samsung and LG may incorporate some of these ideas into their future developments. Call me, Samsung. I live in South Korea. |