What really needs to go viral: healthy online social circles
We need to pull together in this difficult time. The social internet can make it happen.
Digital Health
Fears about the virus may be sparking what Vox’s Ezra Klien calls a ‘social recession’- an outbreak of isolation and loneliness. Thankfully, the internet provides us with a plethora of options for remaining connected, we just have to utilize them.
Here are a few articles with tips on how to stay social. TLDR; Have video chat lunch dates with friends. Let others know that they can reach out to you. Actively participate instead of scrolling.
Another option is to check out some online yoga, dance parties or hackathons.
Remember, it’s okay to feel confused and scared. That’s kind of everyone’s general vibe right now. But in difficult times, social connection is paramount.
Connected Culture
A sneaky attempt to end encryption is worming its way through Congress
The EARN IT act is a bipartisan bill currently making its way through congress. Proposed as a way to combat online child sex abuse, the act will set up a federal commission that will be able to create new parameters for the web. “(It) could mean all encrypted communication services being built with a "backdoor" for government access. It could mean making users of social media, online marketplaces, and apps from Yelp to Grindr submit proof of real identities before they can join or post. It could mean turning over more user data to authorities or disallowing any accounts that post sexual material at all.” We don’t know what would actually happen at this point, but many are outraged that there is a chance the government will stop end-to-end encryption.
A study on digital wellbeing
Google recently published results from a digital wellbeing study they conducted on 6,000 people. Something notable about this data is that it shows people spend more time on digital activities that they said detract from their life. This is a big red flag that points to the downfalls of the attention economy. The fact that Google has been quietly starting to push for humane design recently gives me a lot of hope that it will change soon.
Don’t Ask When Silicon Valley Will Get Back To A Pre-Covid Normal. Ask Whether It Should.
For once, social media companies are stepping up and combating misinformation. This is closer to the original utopian dream of the internet envisioned in the 90’s- a network fostering social connection and the spread of information. How will this fundamentally change the landscape of the internet going forward?
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