Right now, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat work great for people that want to share text, picture, and video content with the world. Some argue that a social network driven by economic incentives rather than organic self-expression, community, and engagement is doomed to fail.

These people are missing the fact that the content we share on traditional social networks is specific content that makes us look good to the rest of the world. The primary reasons people share on traditional social networks are social validation and self-promotion. I strongly believe there's an opportunity for a social network that emerges with real content that does not make us look good, but that others get value from because of the realness. This unique, real content is essential in for these networks to grow.

When there's a monetary incentive to share, the primary reason for sharing becomes earning rather than social validation. And the content that emerges on such a social network has the potential to be very different than what has existed before on social networks.

To date, there has been some real, never-shared-before content on Steemit like this hand-written letter that author Neil Strauss received from Phil Collins and these prison memoirs from Charlie Shrem. This is the type of content that Steemit needs more of -- real content that you won't find on other social networks.

If everyone on Steemit shares things they've never shared with the world before, Steemit will become a much more unique and sustainable community. For your next post, I urge your to share a secret and tag it #realness. My next post will be my own #realness

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