138/ We Need To Talk About Twitter w/ Musa Okwonga and Justin Salhani
Aug 24, 2023
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Guests Musa Okwonga and Justin Salhani discuss the impact of Twitter on society, including addiction, lack of transparency, and mental health. They explore the role of race and identity in online discussions, frustrations with Twitter's current state, and the manipulation of bad faith actors. They also highlight the importance of physical spaces and the significance of websites and multiple platforms for journalists.
Social media platforms like Twitter have contributed to the rise of extremist ideologies, fueled by hate speech and the desire for community.
Algorithmic design on social media platforms has led to a decline in productive dialogue, favoring engagement over genuine discourse and hindering collaboration.
The American-centric nature of social media platforms can distort global narratives, and the influence of autocratic governments on these platforms poses worrisome implications for societies.
Deep dives
The Rise of Far-Right Politics on Social Media
The podcast discussion highlights the concerning rise of far-right politics on social media platforms, exemplified by the growth of hate speech, conspiracy thinking, and the spread of false information. This phenomenon is driven by a combination of hate and the desire for community, forming a dangerous alliance that creates a breeding ground for extremism. The podcast argues that social media platforms like Twitter have become influential in shaping societal views and have played a role in the rise of populist ideologies. It also emphasizes the danger of having powerful individuals control these platforms, as their decisions and algorithm manipulations can have far-reaching implications.
The Erosion of Good Faith Dialogue
The podcast explores how social media platforms have led to a decline in good faith dialogue. It highlights the inability to engage in productive conversations with individuals who operate in bad faith, seeking to push their own narratives without considering alternative viewpoints. This breakdown in constructive dialogue is attributed to algorithmic design, which rewards engagement over genuine discourse. As a result, the online space transitions into an environment where defensive behaviors prevail, with individuals less likely to engage with opposing perspectives. This shift has significant implications for communities, as discord takes precedence over collaboration and learning.
Challenges with American Centrism on Social Media
The podcast highlights the American-centric nature of social media platforms, particularly in areas of discourse and policy-making. It raises concerns about how platforms like Twitter disproportionately cater to American voices, leading to a lack of global perspectives and potentially distorting the narratives of social issues. Furthermore, the influence of autocratic governments in shaping social media platforms is acknowledged, noting the worrisome implications this may have on societies as these governments exploit the platforms for their own agendas. The discussion emphasizes the need for alternative spaces and platforms that prioritize inclusivity and genuine engagement from diverse perspectives.
Strategies for Pushing Back Against Negative Narratives
The podcast encourages the creation of offline spaces and hyper-local organizing as effective ways to challenge and counteract negative narratives propagated on social media platforms. It suggests that focusing on community building, face-to-face interactions, and organizing efforts can have a more significant impact than solely relying on online engagement. The importance of creating and supporting conversations that cannot be ignored is emphasized, highlighting the need for artists, writers, and journalists to produce work that challenges the dominant narratives and actively contributes to shaping real-world discussions and actions.
Importance of civic engagement for online communities
The podcast episode highlights the importance of civic engagement for individuals who primarily grew up in online communities. It emphasizes the need for these individuals to understand the significance of offline civic engagement, whether through physical participation or online organizing. The speaker explains that civic engagement extends beyond simply voting and includes active participation in online spaces like Signal and WhatsApp for organizing purposes. The episode argues that the far right has been successful in selling sentiment and that those who advocate for progress need to improve their ability to convey sentiment effectively. The conclusion reached is that in order to create a future beyond facts and to promote issues like the humanity of migrants, it is necessary to engage in offline activities, such as organizing meetups and writer salons, to build a sense of community and work towards positive change.
Balancing online and real-life activism
The podcast explores the idea of how the online world should supplement real-life experiences and activism. The discussion focuses on the need to move beyond relying solely on social media platforms for activism and connection, emphasizing the importance of physical spaces and face-to-face interactions. The speakers share personal experiences of organizing meetups, lunches, and other events to foster real-life connections and create meaningful change. They encourage others to pursue similar endeavors and suggest ways to integrate offline and online activities, highlighting the value of engaging with diverse communities in person. The episode also touches on the potential limitations and vulnerabilities of relying solely on online platforms, urging individuals to have multiple outlets and platforms for their work to avoid dependence on a single channel.
After some 12 years on the site, I've finally deleted my Twitter account. Its takeover by a profoundly narcissistic, mediocre and insecure bigot gave me that extra excuse I'd been looking for all these years.
But why does any of that matter? After all, isn't it 'just a website'?
Yes. And no. Whether you are an activist or a scholar or a journalist or a policy-maker, Twitter has had an undeniable influence over your life - even if you've never been on it.
I was a very active user of that site. I gathered some 34,000 followers, had my tweets featured in mainstream media dozens of times, and made a lot of friends. Twitter is also how a lot of my work got published, and how so many people even heard about me in the first place. For that, I'll be forever grateful.
But still, I quit it, and I ain't going back. I've reached this conclusion after many years of deliberation. Weighing the pros (exposure, networking, connections etc) and cons (addiction, restlessness, a huge waste of time etc). I don't know whether this is the right decision for everyone (although at this rate the site might become irrelevant soon enough anyway) and in many ways this conversation isn't even about that.
I invited returning guests Musa Okwonga and Justin Salhani to talk about the impacts of social media on our world, with a focus on Twitter.
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