Sam Liebeskind

The constitutional right of the people to communicate with one another, in public squares and in a free press, was formerly understood as a ‘bulwark of liberty’ — that is, as the necessary means through which a people preserved themselves as a self-governing political community.

The illusionary perception that social media has brought us closer has faded. Living a performative life for the Internet is a recipe for emptiness. What has been revealed is that we are alone. We crave connection. Wherever we end up going, we want it to be more real. This means we should probably stop supporting centralized platforms, even if they... See more

One way to understand computer systems in large social settings is as automated bureaucracies. Forget the hype and the jargon, that really is what they are. I know that no one gets excited about bureaucracy (except for social scientists, no kinkshaming) but what kind of bureaucracy runs any given important part of your life (and of society at... See more

Platforms like GoFundMe, reddit grief communities, mutual aid networks, real-time disaster storytelling, and global uprisings in reaction to systemic inequality are demonstrative, real world examples that connectivity breeds empathy and unity. The work of Taiwan’s digital minister Audrey Tang during the COVID-19 pandemic — quickly using the... See more

Thus, the effectiveness of deliberative processes is threatened by what British political theorist Marit Hammond describes as “processes that may have the appearance of empowerment, but only serve to pacify democratic demands without actually submitting to their bottom-up force.”

The difference becomes clear in how the feed responds to your behavior. Let’s say you click on a note about climate policy. In the old two-tower system, this single interaction would contribute minimally to your overall profile, especially if climate wasn’t already one of your core subscription topics. The model’s simplistic averaging approach... See more

As theologian Walter Brueggeman writes on rest and sabbath—it’s a “pause that transforms.” Rest— of people, of land, of resources— is always linked to flourishing, not scarcity. Practiced in times of plenty and proven in times of crisis.

It may be more likely to be pay-to-play. Design takes time and effort. Content creation takes time and effort. Everything that goes into a shiny digital footprint – website design, hosting, platform service subscriptions – costs money. Compare this to a random book club meet-up advertised through a single flyer made by hand and stapled to a few... See more