The illusion of division (and how family breaks it)
Hi, I’m Omar, the founder and CEO of Kinnect. This blog is part of the From Omar series, where I share personal reflections on family, relationships, and the human experience. These aren’t polished takes — they’re raw, honest thoughts I’m still working through.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how divided we all seem. Politics, social media, and 24/7 news cycles make it feel like everyone’s picking a side — and once you choose a side, there’s no coming back. But I’ve started to wonder if that division is real or just noise.
When I think about my family — uncles, cousins, siblings, parents — I see people with wildly different opinions, beliefs, and life experiences. And yet, somehow, I still love them. I still want to be close to them.
And that makes me wonder... if I can love people in my family who are so different from me, maybe we’re not that different.
If you scroll through social media, it’s easy to feel like the world is on fire. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone thinks their opinion is the only one that matters.
But here’s the thing: Social media thrives on extremes. It pushes the loudest voices to the front, creating the illusion that we’re all miles apart. It’s like standing in an echo chamber where the most controversial and divisive content gets amplified.
How social media distorts our sense of difference
It’s hard to ignore the role that social media plays in all of this. It’s not a neutral space. It’s designed to show you what you react to — and that’s usually the stuff that makes you angry, frustrated, or shocked.
So what happens?
You start to believe that the "other side" is unreasonable, illogical, or wrong. And they think the same about you.
But what I’ve learned from family is this: When you sit down and talk to people, you see that most of us want the same core things.
- We want to feel safe.
- We want to be loved.
- We want to have enough to provide for our families.
How we go about it might look different, but the goals are usually the same.
When I think about how I’m building Kinnect, this idea is always in the back of my mind. Social media wasn’t built to bring people closer — it was built to keep people scrolling. But I want Kinnect to be different. I want it to be a space where you can feel closer to people, even if you disagree.
If we remember that we’re more alike than different, we’ll be more willing to see each other fully.
Family as a practice ground for empathy
If there’s one place where you’re constantly practicing empathy, it’s family.
Family forces you to be patient with people you don’t always understand. It asks you to love people who can be frustrating, stubborn, or difficult. But it also teaches you how to see beyond someone’s worst moment.
Think about your family.
- Have you ever had to bite your tongue in a family argument?
- Ever had to find common ground with a relative who sees the world differently than you?
- Ever had to show up for a sibling, parent, or cousin, even when they disappointed you?
That’s empathy in practice.
And it’s something we all get better at over time. We learn to listen more. We learn to put aside our judgments, even for a moment. We learn to see people as more than their beliefs, mistakes, or political views.
When I consider how Kinnect fits into this, I see it as a tool that encourages empathy. It’s a space where family members can share their stories, reflections, and life lessons without it turning into a public debate. It’s private, personal, and safe.
Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that empathy isn’t just something you feel — it’s something you practice.
Why Kinnect isn’t trying to be another “social app”
One of the biggest differences between Kinnect and a traditional social app is this: We’re not here to "build an audience" — we’re here to build a connection.
On social media, you’re performing. You’re curating your best moments for an audience, hoping to get likes, comments, or validation. But on Kinnect, there’s no performance. It’s just you and the people you care about.
And because it’s private, you can be vulnerable. You can share something real. You can be messy, reflective, or unsure.
I think about how many moments I’ve shared on social media to fit a narrative or keep up appearances. But Kinnect isn’t about that. It’s about creating a space where you can be fully yourself.
Closing thoughts (are we really that different?)
If I’m being honest, I don’t think we’re that different.
We all want to feel safe.
We all want to be loved.
We all want to be seen.
Our beliefs, choices, and worldviews might look different on the surface. But deep down, I think we’re all a little more alike than we give ourselves credit for.
Family shows us that. It teaches us how to love people who think differently. It teaches us that love doesn’t have to mean "same." It can mean "together, even when we’re different."
As I build Kinnect, that’s the vision I’m holding on to. I’m building a space where families can see each other fully — not just in their best moments, but in their real, human ones.
If you’ve felt like the world is pulling people further apart, I want you to know this: We’re not that different. We just need more spaces that remind us of that.
abrazos,
omar
