TL;DR: I usually say Gander started with Mike Myers and digital sovereignty. But the real “why” hit me again thanks to an email from Erin, a Canadian mom who just wants a kinder internet for her kids.
She’s not a techie. She’s just tired of the hate and chaos, and believes Canada’s the right place to build something better.
I’ve got kids too. We got lucky. But I remember those fears.
This isn’t just an app. It’s a shot at a healthier online world. Thanks for the reminder, Erin.
Read on for more…
Hitting Reset on Social Media (And the Future)
Rethinking ‘Why’
When someone asks me why I’m building Gander, my go-to is to tell the story of how it got started: Mike Myers wore the Canada’s Not for Sale shirt, I got into discussions about Canadian digital sovereignty, and got tired of battling trolls sharing disinformation.
But that’s not really the ‘why’, and I was reminded of that thanks to an email we received from a concerned Canadian mum, Erin, who agreed that I could share her message.
A Message from Erin
Dear Gander,
My name is Erin.
Appologies in advance, this got long – please read it at your leisure.
I know I have said already that I am very excited about your project – I’d like to tell you why.
It has nothing to do with tech – I’m generally not good at technology, I’ve never beta tested anything – I barely even know what that means 😂. I am actually super new to social media at all. I finally reluctantly caved and created a facebook profile in the fall of 2024 because a group of nerds I play with use it organize and coordinate their events. My reasons are more emotional:
My children are young, they’re called “Generation Alpha” and I have to believe that means something – a chance to start over to be better to each other and to the planet. It is my responsibility as a mother of that generation to teach them how to do that. Social media is not going to go away and so having one that is less hostile and more productive is something the whole world desperately needs. Canada still has a good global reputation and I think it’s the perfect place to launch a friendlier alternative to social media.
The last few weeks and months have clearly shown that the world needs more Canada. But more than that, right now, Canada needs more Canada.
Since my first son was born the realities of the world have weighed heavily on me – there is not a whole lot that I can do from home whilst caring for and teaching them to make the world safer for them. The opportunity to help carve out a little corner of the internet that is less hostile would mean a lot to me.
I have always been a proud Canadian. I feel that part of the Canadian Identity is owning both the shame and triumphs of our ancestors in an effort to make sure we move forwards instead of backwards. We do not have to agree with the past to learn from it but we cannot learn from it if we forget.
Politeness sits on top of our stereotype but respect, kindness and compassion run deep. We’ve been losing ourselves into a world of hate, selfishness and disposability. Building something that will last and create togetherness is crucial.
I know all too well that not all Canadians feel the same. There are bullies and bad people in Canada just like everywhere else, I’ve met my fair share of them and I want my kids to grow up in the Canada that I always believed was under there somewhere despite those people.
In a community where hate is discouraged, goodness WILL flourish. I truly believe in your vision and I’d like to do whatever I can to help it become a reality.
I don’t know when or how you’ll be choosing your beta testers or how may hundreds you’ll have to choose between (I am in no way trying to rush anything, I know these things take time to do properly). Maybe someone who is only just barely able to make a smart phone function would be useful to your collection of testers – someone who can say if something is too hard to figure out and who is not already very accustomed to the ways of other platforms. If you think so, please pick me 🙂
Thanks for enduring my ramble – I am truly looking forward to what comes next!
~Erin.
💪🇨🇦
P.S. When you get to that part of the process – can you please create a reversed strong-arm emoji for the other side of the flag? (And obviously also a Canada Goose.)
Thanks, Erin
I have kids. Older boys… men now, really. And we count ourselves lucky that they didn’t suffer severe online bullying in their early teens, despite going through their own social discomforts around identity, and a pandemic spent socializing through screens.
Moreover, we taught them how to navigate social media, to the point that they don’t automatically believe everything they see or read online (we hope).
But I very clearly remember having the same fears as Erin, and it’s time we took back the social web in a sane and ethical way, and protect future generations of kids, parents, and all Canadians from disinformation and hate.
So that’s the real why.
Thanks for the reminder, Erin.
