As Twitter, Facebook, and Google try to deal with their unexpected toxicity, the internet continues to reward extremism at the expense of quality, depth, and thoughtfulness. In The New York Times, David Streitfeld reflects on what social media has wrought on society by profiling Twitter co-founder Evan Williams’ attempts to course-correct with Medium.
social media
Posted inBusiness & Tech, Nonfiction, Quotes
The Slacklash Is Here. You Should Do Something About It.
Is the app that ate email eating into a whole lot more—like privacy, productivity, and personal time?
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
#Vanlife: Selling Their Staged World, One Social Media Post at A Time
Is the social media movement a form of free-spirited nomadism, or a clever selling of the soul to brands?
Posted inEditor's Pick
#Vanlife, the Bohemian Social-Media Movement
“What began as an attempt at a simpler life quickly became a life-style brand.”
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
In Makeover Culture, Authenticity Doesn’t Come Cheap
If the “real” self is inside us, why do we constantly seek to transform our outer surfaces?
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Our Memories Are Not What They Used to Be
Sophie McBain asks what will become of human memory at the age of smartphones, social media, and unlimited storage in the cloud.
Posted inAuthor Notes, Blog Post, Nonfiction, Profiles & Interviews
How to Report on the Life of a 13-Year-Old
There must be few journalistic feats more difficult than getting inside the head of a teenager. But with “13, Right Now,” Washington Post staff writer Jessica Contrera joins the ranks of reporters who have skillfully chronicled the lives of children and teens, including Susan Orlean (read her classic Esquire piece, “The American Man, Age 10”) and more […]
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
How Burger King Generates Buzz on a Budget
Burger King likes being edgy, Schwan says, and it has proved that it doesn’t mind doing things that might make other brands blush. In August, as the company pushed a new spicy version of its chicken fries—a cult favorite the chain returned to the menu after a flood of social media requests—it tweeted a picture […]
Posted inUncategorized
Using Technology to Fight the Power
In a new story for Wired, Bijan Stephen looks at how the Black Lives Matter movement uses social media to organize and fight for change. As Stephen writes, “any large social movement is shaped by the technology available to it,” tailoring their goals and tactics to the media of their time. For the nascent Black Lives Matter […]
Posted inUncategorized
How a Local Police Chief Took on the Drug War
After 25 years of fighting a losing war on drugs and with a heroin epidemic raging in his home state of Massachusetts, Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello decided to take matters into his own hands. He opened his police station’s doors to any addict seeking help, promising to get them into treatment. Writing for Boston Magazine, Chris Sweeney […]