Researchers have found that the more people go online the less they develop meaningful relationships which can be detrimental during times of crisis. Anon would be a social network and Wi-Fi telephone service that could help to combat anti-social behavior and connect people in a more immediate and intimate way.
In an interview with psychologist Robert Kraut, PhD, of Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute done by the American Psychological Association, he said that his studies had found a link between increased internet usage and perceived emotional isolation. “As their use of the Internet increased, the participants reported a decrease in the amount of social support they felt and in the number of social activities they were involved in,” Kraut said. “They also reported being more depressed and lonely.”
Anon would be a combination of the technology offered by personalized social networks such as Ning and the Wi-Fi telephone service Truphone. Individuals could register with a social network that addresses the specific problems they are encountering. Anon would be an online support group similar to Alcoholics Anonymous but covering all types of issues from relationship problems to depression.
In cases where urgent support is required, such as during a panic attack, users would be able to send a text message via Truphone or type an urgent post on the group’s Ning site which would be immediately forwarded to all the other users on their cell phones or computers. The group members could then immediately respond and give the support needed. Hopefully, an increase in meaningful communication and emotional support could help to relieve the types of antisocial behavior that result in school shootings or suicide.
Truphone has already begun offering phone calls from Facebook profiles but this service would need to be expanded so that all the sites on Anon could also use the service and it could be accessed with any cellular phone. There would be no charge for using the Truphone service since it offers free calls to other Truphone users.
Setting up a site with Anon would be free for users and revenue would be made via the selected ads that run along the sidebar, similar to how Ning sites are run.
Anon would be promoted by recommendation on other Websites that run similar material.