Ethan Zuckerman

Can we get rid of the bad bits of social media and keep the good? Is it possible to create a more positive social media experience than the one we get from the platforms that dominate the landscape today? In this episode, Elaine Moore asks what the social media platforms of the future should look like, and whether platforms designed for smaller groups of users with shared interests are the way forward.We hear from writer and tech historian Benj Edwards about the BBS era of the early 1990s; University of Massachusetts professor Ethan Zuckerman; Sarah Gilbert, researcher at Cornell University and Reddit moderator; and Jonathan Abrams, partner at 8-Bit Capital and the creator of Friendster.Presented by Elaine Moore. Produced by Edwin Lane and Josh Gabert-Doyon, Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Hannah Murphy.Mentioned in this podcast:The Lex Newsletter: Reddit and the API apocalypseDiscord has won over gamers. Now it wants everybody elseReddit stands firm in clash with users as blackout on forums escalatesRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CeCe Neltner, a young woman whose struggle with an eating disorder was exacerbated by harmful Instagram algorithms, shares her harrowing journey. In contrast, Keira MacDuff, a teen whose chronic illness went undiagnosed for years, credits TikTok with leading her to a life-changing diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Ethan Zuckerman, a communications professor, breaks down how recommendation algorithms impact users, highlighting their dual power to harm and heal, and emphasizes the need for greater transparency and responsibility from social media platforms.

Ethan Zuckerman and Mike Sugarman discuss a human-scale Internet, the threat of an LLM ouroboros, and urban planning. They explore challenges like Bitcoin, advertising, and restructuring the internet, advocating for diverse search engine alternatives and improved web content quality.

Ethan Zuckerman, an academic, is suing Meta to give users more control over their feeds. The podcast discusses the legal battle for user control over social media feeds and tools, highlighting the importance of algorithms and data privacy.

Ethan Zuckerman, an Associate Professor at UMass Amherst and a pioneer of pop-up ads, shares his insights on the current digital landscape. He tackles the 'enshittification' of the internet and how AI's rise complicates academia. Ethan critiques the anti-labor agenda of tech leaders while revealing the transformative potential of AI in education. He emphasizes finding positivity in niche online communities and highlights his students' creativity as a source of hope amidst a dystopian tech future.