Web3 In Psychology — Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
“I have missed Web2. I don’t want to miss the boat to Web3. Hence, I am all in, and let’s get the ball rolling.” We have heard many people saying this, from the bar at the street corner to the hackathons held in cities. After Brian P. Brooks introduced Web3 to the general public at the congress hearing, Web3 is now colossal. Everybody in town is talking about crypto legislation and taxation. However, additional work needs to be completed before the prosperity of web3. Like a monocycle that needs another wheel to ride smoothly like a bicycle. We believe that a solid and steady infrastructure is essential to Web3. This Web3 party needs more active members.
What is social?
As we contemplate Web3’s ecosystem as a whole, let’s begin with the most accessible track, SocialFi, to understand the industry’s challenges. First and foremost, what is the definition of social? Merriam-Webster defines social as “a connection between individuals or groups that makes us feel happy.” This definition can be divided into two parts: Connections and Happiness.
Connections
In what ways do individuals and groups form connections? How to communicate with others to become friends? Based on technological advancement, each generation reaches out to others differently, but all strive to achieve the highest level in four dimensions: 1. Distance 2. Speed 3. Reliability 4. Reality. Before Sumerians created cuneiform text, human beings communicated through languages and gestures like animals. In creating written text, individuals have the capability of capturing messages and sharing them with others. After that, distance is not the main problem for communication. Ancient Romans used pigeon messengers to get reliable and timely military orders. Postman services replaced pigeon messengers soon after the advent of the railroad system and vehicles. We no longer use pigeons or ride horses to deliver messages; instead, we operate airplanes and trucks for dependable and fast service. Modern technology has improved communication channels in terms of speed and reliability. The pursuit of truth and reality intrigued people to add the graphic to the written letters. Self-portrait painting was the “must-have” item for nobility before the invention of the camera. The text is accompanied by images. This is how people in the past communicated: Text(Letter), Picture(Painting), Voice(Oral Message), and Gesture(Face to face communication).
In the 21st century, we interact through the same methodology as in the past. From morse code to 5G, we have started to use wireless smartphones instead of BP machines. Paintings are replaced with emojis and photos. Video allows us to show facial expressions and gestures in real-time. Methods that people build connections now: Text (Text message), Picture(Photo), Voice(Voice mail), and Gesture(Video calling). Technology advancement permits us to pursue the ultimate of distance, speed, reliability, and reality. We will be able to cover most Web2 communication products if we cross-match these four approaches for building connections.
The chart above reveals how Web2’s world communicates with each other. Snapchat and Instagram focus on the communication between friends. For business contact, Skype and Zoom will be the leading players in the market. As VR chat is widely used by the younger generation, virtual reality technology enhances the boundaries of reality in communication. We will manage to achieve face-to-face communication and hug each other with sensors held in our hands. In addition to the current technological advancements, what if blockchain technology was incorporated into the communication channel? Under decentralized mythology, communication channels will commence a revolution. Here is a chart reflecting current observations and forecasting concerning the Web3 products:
We have witnessed many projects built by solving the Impossible Trinity’s dilemma one by one. Web3 redefines our “identity” on-chain, which allows us to talk to each other without limitation. For instance, in Web2, we send text messages to an already-known person. However, in web 3, we begin to send texts to unknown identities by using wallets. XMTP will be an excellent example for messaging in Web3. We will know one another based on on-chain activities, and our identities will be confidential. Web3 is set to change current social norms by providing us with a means of knowing anyone, anywhere in the world, without being restricted by physical distance or social class.
Here is a classic story we love to share: Imagine Bob and Alice fall in love because they are all BAYC holders. These cute couples will send out messages and pictures every day based on their wallet address. Finally, they decide to get married in Decentraland and share a kiss. However, in reality, Bob might live in China, and Alice might be located in Brazil. The truth is, they will likely never encounter one another, not even mention fall in love. With Web3, love can happen despite distance, sex, or identity. They fall in love with the new social norm and rules. As in Movie Free Guy, an NPC in the game falls in love with Millie Rusk. Everything is possible. In Web3, we break common senses and redefine ethical behavior based on the social revolution guided by blockchain technology. Hugging anyone does not require us to be personally acquainted. Touching anyone’s soul does not require knowing them personally. From wallet to wallet, heart to heart, the consensus in blockchain and community culture will create an abundance of communication channels. This generation will redefine communication.
Happiness
Aside from the development of a connection channel, what other factors contribute to our happiness while performing interpersonal interactions? Happiness is another breakpoint for social activity in the second half of the “social” definition. In neuroscience, what kind of simulation will allow our brain to secrete dopamine and endorphin to keep us happy? Let’s nail down the question by probing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to understand human satisfaction needs.
According to Dr. Maslow, human beings desire to discover the “real me” and be self-actualized. Physiological needs include the necessities of life, such as food and water, while safety needs include the security of one’s property and personal safety. The pyramid structure suggests that implementing basic needs (Physiological and Safety needs) is necessary before fulfilling the more advanced need(Love/Belonging need and Ego need). Happiness is closely related to the satisfaction of advanced needs. The purpose of web2.0 applications is to provide app users with an experience that addresses three advanced needs: Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-actualization.
The Secret sauce for social apps
All trendy social apps are equipped with features that meet advanced needs. Let’s take Instagram and Snapchat as an example. Besides covering the primary communication channels such as texting and video calling, these two social apps also include story sharing and moment posting. Everyone will post their cherished moments on social media, from family photos to scenery sharing. After uploading our photographs, many of us will look forward to how many likes and comments we get. The example above will illustrate the expectations of Love/Belonging need and Esteem need. Videotaping our daily lives enables people to find the commonality between individuals and groups. Attention from family and friends will make us feel respected. Most people will emotionally enjoy the sharing process, which will make us more joyful. Likes, subscriptions, and viewer data are the most common features on widespread social media such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. These elements allow users to feel esteemed and emotionally related to the community, allowing us to be addicted to positive user experiences. If we are not happy with apps, why bother using them?
An astute chef will cook various communication channels with happiness sauce to get this million-dollar dish. Similar to the social definition, we introduced at the beginning of the article, social is the “connection between individual or group that makes us happy.” Connection (Social Channels) + Happiness= Social Secret Sauce; This equation allows companies to alter slightly based on the target group but still attract a large user base.
Web3 and SociaFi
If Web2’s product will fulfill most of our needs, where is the future of Web3 products? From the creator economy to the social graph, the market still needs more active players on various tracks. Before moving profoundly into reasoning analysis, let’s break down the market differently. Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we categorize the current trendy Web3-related tracks.
Safety need
Safety need is the fundamental need located at the second layer of Maslow’s pyramid. In Web2’s world, our identity and cyber security are protected by corporations and governments. Our behavior has been recorded in the government’s system since birth, from passports to credit scores. There aren’t many choices left for the public since most of the infrastructure and rules are built on government credentials.
In contrast, Web3 is a newly created term, as are the projects. We need to build from scratch to construct the safety-related infrastructure. A major focus will be on DIDs and privacy-enabled blockchains. DID is on-chain identity. Privacy-enabled blockchain will match privacy-focused smart contracts. For DID, there are two common approaches: 1. Connect Web2’s social media or bank accounts to gain access on-chain. 2. Create an on-chain identity that aggregates all on-chain behaviors. RNS, a sovereignty-backed digital ID platform, allows users to own Palau’s digital citizenship, enabling users to become trustworthy on-chain. Projects like RNS are trying to find the boundaries between on-chain and off-chain, making a compromise for both sides. Nevertheless, for the mainstream DID projects, people are trying to create aggregators that allow users to have all their behaviors noted. On-chain identity is 100% separate from off-chain identity. Sismo is an excellent model as it enables users to combine all the wallets on Ethereum and generate a credit score. Users’ past activity will affect everything afterward, from Defi Lending/Borrowing to NFT Airdrop.
Besides decentralized identity, the safety of on-chain activity and assets still captures public attention. Privacy protection is either built from the bottom up, such as Secret Network, which gives the user the option of revealing and hiding data, or it is limited to specific needs, such as Tornado.cash. Tornado.cash helps users hide their wallet address/identity from transactions. Many web3 projects have started to use Zero-Knowledge Proof as the fundamental technology for data protection/sharing. By utilizing ubiquitous ZK technology, developers will be able to explore new ideas in privacy protection.
Even though many projects work on safety issues, the market reaction is plain. Most people are not sensitive to data leaking as long as they are not victims. Direct harm will make people cautious, but indirect one will be easily ignored. We all buy curtains because we have foreseen that there will be someone sneaking at us without a curtain. This is the immediate harm that makes the public aware. However, the penalty in Web3 is unseen due to the novelty of the public. With the web3 revolution gaining momentum, safety will become more and more important.
Love/Belonging need
Love/Belonging need will be the next level to reach. Examples will include the fan economy and Dao. Who is your idol? What song do you like? These private questions define who you are and which group you belong to. Everyone strives to find their own solitary island due to similarity and loneliness. Just like the crypto world’s community culture and NBA Top Shot’s NFTs, we all pay for our “belonging need.”
Love is essential to humans, like plants need sunshine, whether we are seeking relationships, friends, or family. In Web2, we have Facebook and Linkedin, which allow us to know someone’s social network both privately and collectively. If you are trying to look for romance, dating apps are abundant. From Bumble, where girls start the conversation, to gay dating app Grindr, everyone will be able to find a product they enjoy, no matter if you are looking for something casual or serious. The web2 market is mature enough to find the perfect match.
In Web3, we are still in a very early stage of fulfilling people’s need for love and belonging. We believe that adequate participants are critical for the booming of web3 products. In other words, we need to lower the entry barriers and create more user-friendly Dapps. Early conquerors focus on technology improvement, and many ignore user experiences. It is remarkable for a developer to create something that revolutionary. However, for business, we need users. Time had changed. While large users and developers are joining the Web3 world, the project that is willing to “compromise” will be able to attain more users than others. For most web3 products that allow you to “make friends” on-chain, users will be required to log in with a wallet, and after carefully matching based on on-chain activity, you text on-chain friends. So Web3 but boring. Many Dapps only have hundreds of active users. What chance do we have of finding friends or love when there is such a small user base?
In conclusion, if we want to fulfill our need for love and belonging, we need to increase web3 users as much as possible. Compromise is necessary for the early stages. As the pool of users grows, we will be able to find our soulmates and change user behavior in the long run.
Esteem need
Self-esteem and respect from others are essential to us. Our desire for success and show-off will be fueled by self-esteem. Care from others represents our need for acknowledgment. We have the Academy Awards in the traditional world, and every actor/actress wants to walk on the red carpet. Conversely, the Razzie Awards will never attract famous actors/actresses to participate. While the Academy Awards earn respect, Razzie Awards show otherwise.
Being respectful or disgraceful to someone is based on our past experiences with them. From credit scores to report cards, the more detail we have on a person’s lifetime, the more accurate judgment we will make. The epitaph we wrote on the tombstone uses a single sentence to cover a person’s life. In Web3, we can note down all your behaviors and publications on-chain. Take Mirror as an example. Artists are free to choose when and where they want their work published. All the content shouldn’t undergo agency censorship. As a fundamental right, people will have freedom of speech in the Web3 world. Creators will share their benefits with the community. Blockchain will record all actions with an unchangeable prerequisite. Everyone can comment and judge whether the creator should be considered a respectable individual.
Self-actualization need
Our self-actualization needs will help us accomplish our goals and be the person we aim for. In Web2, the most common example will be memoirs and documentaries. Famous and successful people love publishing their books and making their movies. For Web3, personal social tokens such as Rally’s social tokens will be a great example. Whether you are a writer or artist, users will be able to create their brand. In NFT, we have IreneDAO and Ghozali Everyday which reflect the creators’ characteristics. All of these are great examples of Self-actualization needs. Self-actualization need is at the top of the pyramid and the most challenging level to reach. To become successful in related web3 projects, from community building to personal charm, is graded with the highest standard. According to Maslow, to reach level Five, we need to be perfect on all the levels below.
When will the boom be in Web3?
If we think based on Marlow’s theory, the hierarchy triangle requires us to meet the bottom need before reaching the next level. As we discussed initially, Web3 still needs extra work on fulfilling safety needs. In DID and privacy-enable chains, we have not yet caught any project that is prevalent enough to rebuild the web3 system. Compared to GameFi/Defi, DID and privacy-enable chain still belong to the “hard to understand but fancy” track. If safety infrastructure does not satisfy users’ needs, creator economy/social mapping from the more advanced class will be hard to develop.
The growth of the industry was never linear. We don’t need to follow an order to create something. Yes, but if we envision a prosperous and vibrant future, we need a stable and prevalent safety infrastructure. Take real estate development as an example. We want to purchase a house in a nice neighborhood with adequate educational resources. Yet, if the highway to the community is lousy and with hours-long traffic jams, the neighborhood’s occupancy rate will be lower than expected. The road is vital to community building, and so does infrastructure. The exploration and prevalence of DID/Privacy enable chain is the bedrock for Web3.
Besides lacking infrastructure, the flourishes of Web3 need a massive number of users. It is no wonder that both GameFi and Defi have so many creative ideas because there is a great need in this market. Building social mapping is useless if we don’t have ample users in Web3. Why would some be interested in a simple and pointless social connection? If we don’t have large populations, none of the social Dapps is efficient enough to find lovers or friends. Without readers or fans, what’s the point of the creators’ economy? In the crypto world, we still need a lot of people. People are rumoring about legislation and taxation, but many still have a limited understanding of our industry. We have seen many developers decide to compromise with the Web2 world. Some choose to use email as login authentication instead of a wallet. XX-to-earn projects give up entry fees to give out free money to attract enough users. The compromise between the crypto world and the traditional market will finally reach a balance where everyone will be pleased. Putting the infrastructure in place and solving the user number problem will lead to a boom for Web3.
Author: Larissa
