Off the Map

You’re walking down the street and someone approaches. Someone you know but don’t really want to talk to. Your stomach drops. You pick up your pace, maybe turn down a different block. You’ve done this a thousand times.

All the social apps are designed to prevent this moment. Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare—they want to connect everyone, map proximity, make sure you’re always aware and always visible. But the honest truth is most of us spend most of our time trying to avoid exactly that. We don’t want to be found. We want solitude more than connection.

Cloak was an app that actually understood this. It showed you where your friends were so you could go the opposite direction. Seems funny until you realize it’s just being honest about something everyone feels. For once, a social app that didn’t pretend we’re desperate to be together. We’re desperate to be alone.

Everything’s tracked anyway—your location, your movements, all of it. You’re always being mapped. At least Cloak admitted it, and turned that surveillance into escape instead of capture.