Can Twitter be solarpunked?
How Team Human would make social media work for people and planet
Twitter is seen by many as one of the worst parts of an industry that some think has been fuelling division and undermining democracy.
One of its most thoughtful critics has been our friend the Founder of Team Human, Doug Rushkoff.
He recently made the case for what he would do if he were the boss of Twitter.
His ideas include;
Making the default version of Twitter have no targeting algorithm (like it used to be).
Giving people the option to choose their own algorithm if they want. This could then be compared against the regular version.
Go to a less hectic revenue-based model, instead of stock-pumped speculation growth favoured by many Silicon Valley types.
Become a publisher with accountability.
And more
It’s another example of how Team Human have brought to life the point from our manifesto “Yes to Tech, No To Technocracy”.
Doug’s ideas show how the political, economic and social context of technologies play such a big part in determining how good or bad they are.
That there are ways that tech which can currently do so much harm might be reformed. It could help us build a deliciously sustainable future rather than accelerate us into a nightmare one.
Doug sums it up with this great quote:
“The Silicon Valley billionaire elite were hoping Twitter would function as a proof of concept for their vision of a new form of techno monarchy. First Twitter then the world, but this escapade has only proved the opposite.
It’s not civil society and government that need tech leadership. It’s technology that needs to retrieve the mechanisms of civil society and collective governance. It's not rocket science.”
For more on all of this check out the first 9 mins of this episode of Team Human.
What do you think? Do you like Doug’s ideas on how Twitter could be reformed? Or do you think it’s fine as it is?
Or is all social media irrevocably evil for you? What would social media be like in your solarpunk world? Let us know in the comments below.
To see more of Doug’s exploration of the murky mindsets of some of Silicon Valley overlords you can buy his latest book Survival of the Richest - Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires.
And…
Waste No Time - Krafty Kuts @ SolarPunk Stories Playlist
Until Next Time
That's all for this update. If you like what we’re trying to do here and know someone else who might do too then please share.
See you in the sunshine,
Alex Holland
Founder, SolarPunk Stories