The quest to design an ethical social media platform

A number of innovators are working to introduce ethical principles into social media design. But what does an ethical social media platform actually look like?

Mastodons.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Mastodon)

Social media use is pervasive in our culture. And it's on the rise. At the start of this year, there were almost 3.2 billion people using social networks worldwide, up 13 percent from 2017. There are more than 11 new users every second. Meanwhile, we're learning about the damage excessive social media use can do to our health and our society. As awareness of the pitfalls of being constantly connected grows, a small number of tech professionals are working to introduce ethical principles into social media design. But what does an ethical social media platform actually look like?

Our devices — and the social media platforms they facilitate — are clearly messing with our brains: One report published earlier this year linked the rise of smartphones to depression in teenagers. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that heavy social media users were twice as likely to report feelings of social isolation. Social media harbors trolls, spreads misinformation, and collects massive amounts of user data and uses it in dubious ways. One former Facebook executive made headlines last year when he claimed that the "short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops" created by the company are "destroying how society works."

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Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer Johnson is a writer and reporter based in London, England. Her stories explore the intersections of science, technology, and policy.