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As Elon Wrecks Twitter, Can We Build Something Better?
New social networks promise a healthier experience. Can they deliver?
Imagine this: a social media network that doesn’t make you feel like crap every time you use it. One that isn’t constantly trying to manipulate you into paying attention to things you don’t need to see. One that isn’t full of hateful trolls and misinformation. One that doesn’t try to make you angrier and less hopeful than you already are.
Is that even possible?
Most Americans belong to some kind of social media network, and many of us frequently use several of them. Also, most Americans seem to hate the social-media networks they use. In 2020, 64% of Americans said that social media was making America worse. Only 10% (!) said that social media had a positive effect on the country.
Just think about the big social networks in America:
- Instagram lets you see your friends’ pictures, but it also makes people feel bad about their own lives and causes real mental problems for teenagers.
- Facebook keeps you in touch with grandma, but it’s full of right-wing misinformation and it has failed woefully at stopping the spread of sentiments that lead to political violence.
- Twitter was often funny and…
