The current Big Tech social media platforms and their profit-driven, opaque algorithms undermine our mental well-being, reinforce polarisation, and pose a direct threat to our democracy. Under the influence of the recent geopolitical changes – in which the power of Big Tech became increasingly intertwined with political power – these platforms have become a breeding ground for disinformation, hate speech, and political manipulation
It is time to reinvent our social media landscape and the way we communicate online! What do we really need to be connected in this digital age? How can we shape a social media landscape where public values, such as privacy and accountability, are safeguarded? Where social interest and public values take precedence over commercial gain? And where communities themselves retain control over its design?
In The Future of Social Media, we discuss the current developments around new forms of social media in the Netherlands and Europe, and lay out a roadmap for the future of social media.