‘Offline’ social network connects friends for real-world face time

Unface.it hopes to provide a social network that enables users to organize meetings with friends and escape the screen.

While more than one billion people use Facebook, there are still many who refuse to sign up whether for personal reasons or for much publicized privacy concerns. We’ve already seen Zurker aim to provide a more transparent and co-operative alternative, but now Unface.it is hoping to provide an ‘offline’ social network that enables users to connect with friends and take part in more real-world activities. The founders of the app – which was developed during the Launch48 event in Vilnius, Lithuania, last month – believe that sites such as Facebook sap productivity, deteriorate relationships and contribute to depression. Unface.it is designed to help people beat their Facebook addiction, allowing users to add only five of their closest friends. Whenever they feel like Facebooking them, they are encouraged to use their phone to speak to them properly instead. The app also has a focus on events and includes a feature that finds relevant real-world events taking place near to them, where they can get out of the house and meet new people. This opens up opportunities for sponsors to promote their events through the app. Users can also see how well they’re doing by checking in every time they’re out and placing themselves on a global leaderboard of streaks for real-world social interactions. Unface.it operates on the manifesto that using the internet in moderation, appreciating the world outside and meeting new people is the best way to beat addiction to social networks and increase productivity and happiness. Are there other ways to take advantage of digital technologies to improve people’s experience of the real world? Spotted by: Murray Orange