Riskgaming

How can we make the internet fun again?

Apr 19, 2025

Renée DiResta, an Associate Research Professor at Georgetown and a leader in internet research, discusses the current state of social media and its evolution. She highlights how platforms like X, Reddit, and Mastodon are trying to combat negative trends and the importance of private messaging for genuine engagement. The trio uses gardening as a metaphor for nurturing a healthier internet. They also delve into the future of online interactions, exploring how agentic AI can improve user experience while addressing privacy and authenticity challenges.

34:17

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Episode guests

Renée DiResta

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Quick takeaways

The internet's transformation from creative community to divisive battleground underscores the necessity for innovative solutions to restore healthy discourse.

The rise of private messaging as a preferred communication method highlights the need to balance intimate interactions with public engagement for diverse perspectives.

Deep dives

The Evolution of the Internet Landscape

The internet, particularly social media, has undergone significant changes over the years, shifting from spaces of creativity and connection to environments plagued by misinformation and divisive interactions. Factors contributing to this change include greed and the rise of adversarial behaviors that detract from the original spirit of online communities. As public scrutiny of big tech intensifies, there is increased interest in understanding these transformations and their implications for social interaction. The shift has raised concerns about the quality of online discourse and the user experience, prompting researchers to explore potential solutions for cultivating healthier online environments.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Future of Internet Engagement: Middleware and Identity

2min

The Evolution of Social Media Dynamics

18min

Navigating Social Media: The Shift from Public to Private Spaces

2min

AI, Authenticity, and Social Media Risks

9min

Something is rotten in the state of the internet. Social networks that were once meant to be entertaining diversions have become riven with vituperative political combat that leaves all but the most blinkered acolytes running for the safety of a funny YouTube channel. Bots swarm through the discourse, as do trolls and other bad actors. How did we let such a crucial communications medium become enshittified and can we build something else in its stead?

Joining host Danny Crichton and Riskgaming director of programming Laurence Pevsner is Renée DiResta. She is a leader in the field of internet research and is currently an Associate Research Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown. She’s written recently on the surges of users migrating from one internet platform to another, as well as on the future of social platforms in the age of personal agentic AI.

Today, the three of us talk about how social networks like X, Reddit, Bluesky and Mastodon are each taking new approaches to mitigate some of the dark patterns we have seen in the past from social media. We then talk about how the metaphor of gardening is useful in the course of improving the internet, and finally, how private messaging spaces are increasingly the default for authentic communication.

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christopher Gates⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Ko