It has been almost ten years since the friends site Hyves was closed down. According to some, much more fun and personal than Facebook. Should we revive this social platform, which at its peak in 2012 had almost ten million users?
Let’s go back in time, because Hyves will not ring a bell for everyone. “Hyvers went wild to create their own pages,” says technology journalist Raymon Mens. Users could customize everything. The fun was to make your own page as personal as possible with photos, colors and backgrounds.
Friends appeared in stamp photo on someone’s profile page. Chatting, peeking and flirting were the main activities on the platform, where many thousands of scribbles, millions of private messages and mini messages (taps) were typed every day. The once popular network was overtaken by Facebook.
Nowadays, its use also seems to be on the decline. “Facebook has nice aspects, but Facebook’s interference sometimes makes it downright annoying. Give me Hyves back,” says one of the Hyves fans. She is not the only one, as previous research showed.
What do you think? Are you in favor of reviving Hyves? Or are existing social media such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok sufficient? Participate in the Statement of the Day and let us know your opinion.