So, Donald Trump is starting his own social media site.

We need that like a hole in the head – and not just because it’s Trump, although that would be enough for me. Because it’s political.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have made billions off of polarized politics. The latest revelation, that Facebook prioritized angry emojis, is just more evidence that social media are out to manipulate our emotions. Why? To make more money. People (at least a certain large segment of people) want to be outraged. Because it makes them feel superior.

Facebook, Twitter, and the others may behave all holier-than-thou and try to wash their hands like Pontius Pilate. But they’re in business to make money, and hate sells.

Except…

A lot of people are just plain sick of hate. They’re sick of political manipulation. They miss the days when social media sites were just about sharing goofy pictures and personal updates with trusted friends and family, or networking for business. You can still do that on LinkedIn, which is relatively free of political B.S. But it still pops up there from time to time, and it’s a niche product for business-related interactions.

That’s why there’s a real market for a different kind of social media with one simple ground rule: No politics, period. Sure, the hatemongers would try to get around that (especially if such as site got popular), but if that was the rule that defined the site – social interactions only, nothing political – it could be a haven for people who are sick to death of being forced to choose sides. Of being forced to listen to ignorance, and preaching, and bitterness about things they hear enough about on the news.

If we hadn’t been drawn into political melodramas on social media, maybe we wouldn’t have burned bridges with our best friend from high school or out next-door neighbor or our in-laws.

When I was growing up, my parents had a credo: “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.”

I haven’t totally abided by that, I admit. I’ve written books on politics. But that’s a little different: Anyone can choose to read those or not; they don’t bombard you on your news feed when you go online to share a status update on the cool new restaurant you found or the latest stop on your vacation.

Your social media site is your digital home. No one likes to be verbally assaulted in your own home. That’s one reason I ditched Facebook and have no interest in going back. I’m not about to put my emotions or my pocketbook at the mercy of Mark Zuckerberg and his algorithm-addicted bots. But it’s not just Facebook. I’m not on Twitter, either. Or Instagram. Or Pinterest. Or Snapchat. Or TikTok. My only tie to social media is LinkedIn, and that’s strictly for business purposes.

If there were an apolitical social media site, I bet a lot of people would be down for that. But there probably wouldn’t be as many as get a kick out of the outrage, because we’ve become so attached to it that we’re almost addicted. Some of us are addicted.

That’s why it will probably never happen. There’s just too much money to be made by stoking outrage and fueling hatred.

An apolitical social media site is a great idea. But we’ve stopped being a society of great ideas and have turned into a culture that hates “the other side” for no reason except it’s the other side. Social media moguls facilitated that change to line their pockets, and it’s not something I’ll easily forgive.