The 12 Leverage Points of the Social Media Industry

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Theorist danela meadows had a brilliant answer to that question. She introduced a framework known as the 12 leverage points to intervene in a system. Leverage points lower down the scale are often easier to push, but have less impact on the system. There are also feedback loops, which means pushing on a lower leverage point can sometimes have unpredictably outsized impact. Even a tiny platform twek could completely change the world.

We are now in social media's Big Tobacco moment. And that’s largely thanks to the courage of one woman: Frances Haugen.

Frances is a specialist in algorithmic product management. She worked at Google, Pinterest, and Yelp before joining Facebook — first as a Product Manager on Civic Misinformation, and then on the Counter-Espionage team. But what she saw at Facebook was that the company consistently and knowingly prioritized profits over public safety. So Frances made the courageous decision to blow the whistle — which resulted in the biggest disclosure in the history of Facebook, and in the history of social media.

In this special interview, co-hosts Tristan and Aza go behind the headlines with Frances herself. We go deeper into the problems she exposed, discuss potential solutions, and explore her motivations — along with why she fundamentally believes change is possible. We also announce an exciting campaign being launched by the Center for Humane Technology — to use this window of opportunity to make Facebook safer.