The Story Behind This Project
Making Social Media Truly Social
It all started in a teacher education course at the University of South Florida's College of Education. What began as a typical class discussion about social media's impact on students took a surprising turn when Dr. Unal noticed an unexpected theme emerging from his students' responses.
While many in the class debated the pros and cons of social media in education, a few students with disabilities, who were auditing the course, shared a much different perspective. Their stories revealed daily struggles that went beyond the usual concerns, showing the often-ignored challenges that many users face but rarely discuss.
"I just gave up on social media completely," one student shared. "I kept getting harassed and so much spam because they know I'm different, plus everything's so hard to use... I got tired of dealing with it all, you know? It just wasn't worth it anymore."
These candid revelations struck a chord. What started as a brief class discussion evolved into lengthy conversations after class, with students eagerly sharing their experiences and ideas about what an inclusive social platform could look like.
Intrigued by these insights, Dr. Unal began reviewing existing research on why and how people with disabilities use (or do not use) current social media platforms. The findings were eye-opening: while social media platforms claim to connect the world, they were unintentionally leaving millions behind.
Thus began December3.Club - a project born from classroom discussions that evolved into a mission to revolutionize social connection in the digital age. Our vision became clear: build an AI-powered social platform that prioritizes safety and accessibility, where everyone can communicate naturally, understand content easily, and engage through multiple modes of interaction.
Discover how we're turning this vision into reality...
