1. Time well spent

Other platforms make money by sucking up your time with ads and distractions. The longer you spend on their apps, the more money they make selling digital ads. And what’s more is you’re probably so used to scrolling, you no longer realize how much energy it takes just to process everything you’re looking at.

Check out your Facebook and Instagram feeds. One out of every five posts will be an ad. It’s a formula and it’s keeping you from the things you actually came for—to connect with the people and interests you care about.

So, let’s stop all that. On The Jump, your feeds are free of ads and you’ll see your friends’ posts every time. Because why should an algorithm decide which updates and friend posts actually matter to you?

2. Power of positivity

There’s an old news media adage: ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’ On other platforms the most outlandish, polarizing stories are the ones that illicit the most comments, clicks and shares, so the algorithm prioritizes those posts over others.

That means, when you sign on to send your friend a cheerful Happy Birthday message, you’re forced to wade through divisive politics, angry rants and depressing posts, too. Who needs that emotional rollercoaster? It’s just exhausting.

On The Jump, we don’t reward negativity by helping it go viral. Sure, a friend might post an article that’s depressing or contentious, but it won’t be the norm and there won’t be mechanisms in place that facilitate virality. We believe that if we stop celebrating negative behavior, we can cultivate an ecosystem that values positivity, first and foremost.

We can cultivate an ecosystem that values positivity

3. Your data is yours

You’re a person, not a revenue stream. At The Jump, we will never sell your data and we’ll never prey on your information just to make a buck. That means, you can rest easy knowing we won’t eavesdrop on your conversations or inundate you with ads for that vacuum you looked at last week.

But we know what you’re thinking—that’s great, but how will you actually make money? Well, it won’t be by selling you out, because our revenue model doesn’t require it. We firmly believe that we can partner with cool brands and interesting creators to produce content you’ll actually want to see, content so cool you actually seek it out. (Think unique experiences, engaging tutorials and exclusive partnerships.)

Honestly, digital advertising was due for an overhaul anyway. Every year, brands drop $130 billion on ads and statistics show they don’t make much of an impact. So, while we’re changing the face of social media, let’s take on the advertising industry, too.

4. Focus on connection

Even if we don’t love Facebook, we’ll be the first to tell you that it’s not all bad. The parts about connecting friends and family? That’s the good stuff, but it’s hard to see all that when the negative aspects are so prevalent.

On The Jump, connection is at our forefront. We’re always looking for ways to enrich communication, rather than distract from it. That means we’re focusing on more ways for friends to share updates with other friends and expanding functionality to support the group experience.

By bringing so many tools together (signups, podcasts, events, checklists, file storage, just to name a few) we’re able to unite communities in a way that others can’t. On the app, discussions are engaging, resources are organized and groups of all sizes are able to collaborate effectively and efficiently.

5. You’re in control

We think user-driven customization is key to delivering a better social media experience. You can opt out of updates from users and hide posts from your newsfeed, but that’s just the beginning. Maybe you need updates from someone in one group, but don’t want to hear from them in another? We give you the tools to mix and match which updates you get throughout the app.

If you don’t like newsfeeds, no problem. On The Jump, you can turn it off entirely. Depressed by all the covid-19 news? We have a built-in feed filter that allows you to automatically remove posts based off any mix of keywords you select.

Finally, in addition to being able to filter your feed views based off all posts, friend posts and Jumps, you can also create custom feeds with specific friends and Jumps included.

Written by

Natalie Bogan Morgan

“There’s a growing frustration with social media across the country. People are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with privacy violation, incessant ads, and unhealthy community,” explains Peter McClung, CEO of The Jump.

“It’s time we raise the standard, so we decided to build something better for our communities.”

Building a better platform for groups

While The Jump is still a young company, the multi-million dollar platform reflects the talent and vision of a veteran development and marketing team. Sports leagues, clubs, churches, performing arts groups, co-ops, schools and more are already leveraging the app to streamline communication, increase transparency, and foster healthy relationships. Soon, the American Heritage Girls—a youth organization—will join the platform, using it as its primary communication tool for all 50,000 members. 

Here’s how The Jump works:

Given that The Jump is all about connecting groups of people, it makes sense that homeschool co-ops have been quick to recognize the app’s value. To learn how The Jump can help transform your co-op’s efficiency and community, read on. 

Reason 1: reduce text and email clutter

As a former homeschooler myself, I used to be involved in a homeschool debate club. I remember moms in our club constantly communicating in massive group email and text chains, trying to coordinate club activities. It was an endless stream of messages and it was impossible to keep track of it all. It never failed, group leaders fielded the same questions over and over, messages were often missed, and various families fell through the cracks. 

The Jump alleviates those traditional pain points, utilizing a social-media style platform. All of a sudden, group email and traditional messaging is replaced by a collaborative and organized solution. Members can post a question and anyone in the group can comment to help or ask questions. Messages are grouped and communication is clear—eliminating redundant questions and saving time.

Reason 2: helpful resources

Every group is different. On The Jump, co-op’s have a wide-range of resources and tools at their fingertips, making it easy to customize an experience that works for groups of all sizes and activities. Beyond standard features like direct messaging, photo sharing, videos, gifs and links, the app also provides tools for creating sign-ups, posting files, adding calendar events, podcasts, checklists, polls and more. Members can quickly create and share YouTube videos, favorite Amazon products and Spotify playlists, too.

With the app, parents can forego piecemeal programs like Eventbrite, Survey Monkey and GroupMe, in favor of a single platform that allows a community to bond in a single place. 

Reason 3: no distractions

If you’re using a Facebook group to support your homeschool co-op, it’s a wonder that anyone can concentrate! Ads, notifications and a steady stream of posts are there to jockey for a user’s attention, the second they log onto the platform. That’s not an accident either. Facebook was designed to serve up content that sucks users in for as long as possible. As Facebook original President Sean Parker openly admitted, the network intends to “consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible.” 

In contrast, the user experience on The Jump is much cleaner. There’s no centralized feed, so users only see content specific to their co-op without being sucked down another rabbit hole. Furthermore, while The Jump will always be free to use, it’s completely ad free. If you want your co-op on a platform free of distractions, The Jump is your destination. 

Reason 4: rely on a platform that values you first

Since advertisers pay social media companies billions of dollars to market on their platforms, social media is designed to cater to advertisers’ needs first. For the user, that means that Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others programs mine every piece of user data imaginable and then sell it to advertisers. On The Jump, people are the first priority. Since the app is completely ad free, your data will never be sold out to the highest bidder and you won’t ever have to dodge predatory ads. The Jump’s goal is to support what you’re already doing in real life, all while respecting privacy and giving users the tools they need to build a healthy community. 

If you’d like to learn more, check The Jump out at thejump.com or visit The Jump’s YouTube channel.

Written by

Amaris Kirby