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newpublic.org
New_ Public
@newpublic.org
3.2K followers 500 following 1.3K posts
We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community. newpublic.org
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newpublic.org
RESEARCH: What happens when teens steward their own digital spaces?

A study of Discord servers run by and for teens found that moderators not only gained valuable skills, but were better at maintaining engaging, healthy spaces for their peers.

The kids will be alright 🥹

dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1...
Quote from P4 in italic serif font on white background: "I think that people are most effectively able to moderate if they actually care about the community ... [It's also very important] to be a role model to the community. When you're more invested, the community is going to respect you more and listen to you more than someone who has absolutely no idea how the game works. They're obviously not going to listen to what they have to say." Quote from P3 in italic serif font on white background: "We discuss moderation tactics, best practices for keeping ourselves healthy, keeping communities healthy, make ways to make our lives easier, ways to make sure that we're doing the best job possible ... It's really, really useful to have mentors and people that are way more experienced than me to guide me through different elements of Discord moderation that I've never delved into before." Quote from P2 in italic serif font on white background: "I think that through Discord, there can be meaningful conversations on relationships, teaching people, connections, that aren't found in schools ... [Our Discord community is] providing that space to be able to [talk to others] in a way that's like, a healthy space. If anything goes wrong, there's actually something [that's going to be] done about it instead of just like being like, 'It happens.' ...[The fact] that [disagreements] are communicated about, and the respect, those are key factors to our group." Quote from P4 in italic serif font on white background: "Moderation has helped me understand a lot about how to deal with people, especially with regards to managing conflicts, resolving them, working with different types of people [from around the world] ... It has basically helped me a lot in terms of the sort of soft skills that you need to run a community smoothly."
November 20, 2025 at 6:14 PM
newpublic.org
New social platform @gandersocial.bsky.social is not only using Bluesky’s ATProtocol to build a feed without ads, they’re also keeping user data within in Canada and operating under Canadian law.

This is next-level, unprecedented data sovereignty.
Three illustrated sections promoting Gander's Canadian values: Top left shows a beaver holding a stick with text 'Designed, built and owned in Canada - Supporting Canadian tech and Canadian jobs, no foreign owners or overseas interests. Just Canadians building better social.' Top right shows three evergreen trees with roots and text 'Your data stays here, with us - In an uncertain digital world, location matters. With Gander, your data is hosted on Canadian servers and protected by Canadian laws.' Bottom center shows a tree stump with a squirrel peeking out, with text 'Data privacy. For reals. - No tracking across the web. No surveillance. No selling your data. That's it - that's the privacy policy. Social media doesn't have to be creepy.'
November 20, 2025 at 3:01 PM
newpublic.org
“Are you sure?” “Still scrolling?”

Maybe building in pauses and prompts can supply much needed friction, but is it enough to fully counteract Big Tech’s engagement machine? These solutions are certainly a good first step.

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/the-intern...
Text reading: 'Trisha Prabhu was in middle school when she had a simple idea: What if, before posting something cruel, users were simply asked — "Are you sure?"' This gentle nudge — a moment of intentional friction — reduced harmful messages from 71% to just 4% in her early tests. She later founded Rethink Citizens, where she now helps young people design similarly powerful interventions. This idea — of using design to prompt reflection, not just reaction — is now at the center of a broader movement for prosocial technology.' 'Rethink Citizens' appears as a blue hyperlink.
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
newpublic.org
The next major dating app is … Facebook?

Facebook boosting local, personal services like Dating does feel like a full circle moment for the platform, because at the end of the day, wasn’t connection the reason most of us joined in the first place?

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/t...
Screenshot from an article that says: Facebook Dating shows how Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is evolving "social networking" into two broad categories, Mr. Alison said. The first is content from apps like Instagram Reels that is algorithmic and mostly made by professional creators, and the second is services like Marketplace, Groups and Dating, which are local and more personal.
November 18, 2025 at 2:30 PM
newpublic.org
Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing…

“Without changing the underlying incentive structures of the tools — namely, the funding, ownership, governance, and business models — tech entrepreneurs are simply dressing up old approaches in new clothes.”

connectivetissue.substack.com/p/connection...
Two people in elaborate fashion outfits react with exaggerated expressions at a fashion show - one with platinum blonde curly hair wearing a red sequined jacket with silver embellishments looks shocked with mouth open, while the other with black bob haircut and bold red lips in a red outfit looks unimpressed. A small white poodle is held on the left. Text below reads 'Connection, so hot right now.'
November 17, 2025 at 6:25 PM
newpublic.org
A new @reutersinstitute.bsky.social survey finds that almost a third of the Americans who get their news on social media are relying on influencers & content creators.

How should those outlets, including legacy media orgs, adapt and move forward?

reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news-creator...
Table titled 'Challenges and opportunities posed by news creators' with five columns: Type of creators, Content, Impact rating, Current impact, and Potential responses. Four rows detail different news creator categories: 1) Political Commentary (HIGH impact) - Social-first commentators attract attention but often sensationalize and play to partisan feelings. Response: Media companies could compete with creators or emphasize responsible difference. 2) News & Investigation (LOW impact) - Creator impact limited due to costs and legal risks. Response: Media companies can learn new techniques or hire best creators. 3) Explanation (MEDIUM impact) - Young creators attract attention by translating news into simpler, compelling formats. Response: Opportunities to copy creator storytelling techniques and invest in explanatory teams. 4) Specialism (HIGH impact) - Creators building sustainable niche businesses in technology, football, and finance. Response: Media companies can build niche content using creator-led approaches like newsletters and podcasts.
November 14, 2025 at 5:56 PM
newpublic.org
As @damonberes.com writes in @theatlantic.com, Big Tech companies are basically porting over their social media business models into generative AI.

Once again, they’re betting we will trade our attention and data for the promise of connection.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
Screenshot from an Atlantic article: Yet business almost always looms. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in the generative-AI industry, and the companies—like their social-media forebears—will seek returns. In a blog post about “what we’re optimizing ChatGPT for” earlier this year, OpenAI wrote that it pays “attention to whether you return daily, weekly, or monthly, because that shows ChatGPT is useful enough to come back to.” This sounds quite a bit like the scale-at-all-costs mentality of any other social platform. As with their predecessors, we may not know everything about how chatbots are programmed, but we can see this much at least: They know how to lure and engage.
November 14, 2025 at 2:14 PM
newpublic.org
Building for communities, not profits! 💪

Pumped about the launch of Bonfire, a new microblogging platform that is fully interoperable and modular so people can pick and choose the features that work best for their community.

bonfirenetworks.org
Banner with the words Bonfire and an illustration of a yellow campfire, against a dark grey static-y background.
November 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
newpublic.org
Like many small nonprofits, we’ve been experimenting with using AI tools so that we can focus on our mission of reinforcing human connections, conversations, and communities.

We remain mindful of the harms and risks of AI, and have developed a set of guiding principles grounded in our values.
New_ Public’s Guiding Principles for AI We learn in public through transparency. We keep humans in the driver's seat. We navigate AI's inherent biases. We embrace friction and slow, intentional thinking. We navigate nuance and complexity by cultivating a flexible, evolving approach. We design for pluralism and center the public good. We empower our team through continuous learning and open dialogue.
November 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
newpublic.org
A lot of Americans get news on social media, but what platforms count as news destinations?

X and FB are still holding strong, and TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are increasingly used for news.

via @pewresearch.org
Chart showing trends in news consumption across social media platforms from 2020-2025. Line graphs display the percentage of each platform's users who regularly get news there. X (Twitter) leads at 57%, followed by TikTok at 55%, Truth Social at 55%, Facebook at 53%, Instagram at 41%, YouTube at 41%, Reddit at 35%, Threads at 34%, Nextdoor at 33%, Rumble at 49%, Bluesky at 38%, WhatsApp at 15%, and other platforms. Most platforms show general upward trends over the five-year period, with TikTok showing particularly steep growth from 22% to 55%. Facebook remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 53-54%. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted August 18-24, 2025.
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
newpublic.org
Cory Doctorow, on point as always, points out how “enshittification” has ruined so many of our experiences online, and what we can do about it together.

www.vox.com/technology/4...
Screenshot of an article: What gives me hope is what my friend James Boyle says about “ecology.” Before that word entered the lexicon, you could care about owls and I could care about the ozone layer and we’d both be “right” without realizing we were on the same side. A shared frame reveals a common cause. Today, the shared frame is the fight against consolidated corporate power. If we connect the dots — between your crappy search results, your locked-down car, your exploding drug prices, your brittle supply chains, and your polarized feeds — we can build a coalition with enough mass to change the rules.
November 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
newpublic.org
We need new kinds of bridges.

And inspired by the physical bridges that go beyond logistics, we’re developing new digital products and tools that are useful, healthy, and joyful.
Three circular images on purple background labeled 'Useful,' 'Healthy,' and 'Joyful.' Useful shows power tools and equipment, Healthy shows a colorful fresh salad bowl with various vegetables, and Joyful shows bright rainbow-colored balloons.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
But too often, popular apps and websites are a bridge to nowhere.

Too much of social media leads us to feeds full of AI slop, nonstop ads, partisan flame wars, and engagement bait from people we don’t know.
Collage of news headlines and articles about Facebook Groups moderation challenges. Visible headlines include 'Facebook tries to clean up Groups with new policies' from TechCrunch, 'Facebook Knew Calls for Violence Plagued Groups, Now Plans Overhaul' from The Wall Street Journal, and 'Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close' from Wired. Text snippet visible mentions algorithm elevating posts that encourage interaction including divisive content.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
We often think of a bridge as something that literally connects landmasses.

But bridges don't just connect places, they connect people. And with the right design, they can enable awe, joy, and unity.

Like Iran's Khaju Bridge, which has become a public space where people meet, picnic, and debate.
Illuminated historic bridge with ornate arched architecture lit in golden light at dusk, reflected in calm water. Three circular inset photos show: people sitting in an arched alcove of the bridge, a black and white checkerboard pattern on steps leading to the bridge with crowds of people, and a nighttime performance or gathering inside a bridge arch.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
As part of our mission, we’re committed to building new online infrastructure to foster community and civic health. But what does that actually look like?

Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.

In this case, BRIDGES
Aerial view of a historic stone bridge with multiple arches spanning across a turquoise river, connecting two hillside towns with mountains in the background under a cloudy sky. Quote by Ivo Andric about bridges overlaid on the image reads: 'Of all the things created and built by humankind, nothing in my mind is better or worthier than bridges. They belong to all and treat all alike; they are useful, built for purpose, at a spot where most human needs entwine.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
Traditionally, showing up at a town meeting has been a cornerstone of participatory democracy. Today, in person engagement isn’t always convenient or realistic.

But California is showing that when people have the right tools, they are ready to have civil, thoughtful, and productive conversations.
Purple background with white and yellow text displaying a quote from Jeffery Marino, Director of California Office of Digital Innovation. The quote reads: "We shouldn't have to wait for an election cycle or depend on only the traditional avenues of interacting with our government leaders. [Engaged California is] not seeking to replace any of those, but rather add a new avenue so we can engage with Californians on what's impacting them in their day-to-day lives." A decorative isometric illustration of stacked platform layers appears in the bottom right corner in light purple tones.
October 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
newpublic.org
Doubling down on AI slop may seem like a strange move, but @kyla.bsky.social sees a convergent evolution in Open AI’s Sora: when all else fails, tech companies turn to social media’s tried and true advertising structure.

kyla.substack.com/p/ai-is-the-...
Social media is a last-resort monetization model: When tech companies can’t make enough money on software licensing, subscriptions, or enterprise products, they default to attention. It’s reliable: people scroll; advertisers pay. The thing to watch here is that people are increasingly upset by social media, with almost 50% of teens saying that it harms people their age. John Burn Murdoch argues that we have passed peak social media.
October 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM
newpublic.org
This may sound crazy, but New_ Public’s Rob Ennals only uses his phone 3-4 times a week.

This doesn’t mean he’s disconnected. By treating his smartphone more like a landline, Rob argues he can dispense with the distracting features and be more present.

messyprogress.substack.com/p/going-phon...
Close-up of an Apple Watch on Rob's wrist displaying a Siri response that reads 'OK, I added it' with a reminder titled 'Not use my phone' listed below. A minimalist wooden desk setup against a white textured wall, featuring a laptop standing vertically, a phone on a wireless charging stand, a black portable speaker, two flashlights (one red, one blue), a bamboo organizer with slots, and a storage shelf below containing papers and folders.
October 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
newpublic.org
How well did we really know the terms of our bargain with social media when we agreed to participate?

Tracy Durnell argues we’ve traded authenticity for aesthetics, and privacy for belonging.

tracydurnell.com/2025/09/21/h...
A screenshot of a social media graphic with a light pink background and red vertical line on the left margin. The text reads: "The imperative to participate—as media users, content creators and curators, and members of virtual communities—has become a defining aspect of digital life... What sets participation in the contemporary digital era apart from preceding manifestations, however, is its omnipresent and compulsory qualities." Below this, additional text states: "We feel obligated to weigh in on 'Social Media Events'" (with red underline). "The 'online disinhibition effect'" (with red underline) "means we reveal more about ourselves to people online than we would in person. Our increased participation has had follow-on effects: by training us to share everything, social media has evaporated our expectations for privacy" (highlighted in blue) "and built a culture of sousveillance and surveillance."
October 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
newpublic.org
The obsession with making the next “everything app” is taking us some weird places.

As @stokel.bsky.social says, “Most attempts to ride the zeitgeist are shallow grabs at relevance. The best features, in the best apps, are developed with deep thought about how to benefit users.”

archive.is/q66C4
Screenshot from an article. The text reads: "WHY NOBODY WANTS A DO-IT-ALL APP In the press release announcing the feature, the music streaming giant promises that 'Messages are for the conversations you're already having about music, podcasts and audiobooks with your friends and family.' But the flaw is right there in the pitch: if you're already having those conversations on WhatsApp or iMessage, why would you uproot them into a side-channel inside Spotify? At best it duplicates what's happening elsewhere, and at worst it fractures the conversation into yet another notification stream. (Fortunately, users can turn off the function, too.)" A portion of the text is highlighted in light blue.
October 8, 2025 at 5:49 PM
newpublic.org
With social media algorithms rewarding surprising videos filmed in public and internet detectives going viral, it’s no accident that anonymity is disappearing and we’re all opting in to unending surveillance.

archive.is/s5mQQ
Living in the panopticon means every person you meet is also someone who can ruin your life. Take “West Elm Caleb,” a guy who went viral for… dating. Apparently, he met women on dating apps, was briefly enthusiastic, and then ghosted them. (Not great behavior, but hardly uncommon.) Of course he was immediately doxxed. As the internet has increasingly traded on dating app screenshots for content, people have begun writing responses to each other with the assumption that the conversation won’t remain private. That does seem counter to, you know, dating, since a successful relationship requires vulnerability, the exact thing online daters now avoid.
October 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
newpublic.org
Introducing the New_ Public Canon: A non-exhaustive, in-no-particular-order selection of books about communities, technology, and civic life that our team loves and references (almost) every day.

What are we missing? Any recommendations?
Reading list titled 'The New_ Public Reading List Part 1: The Big Books' on purple background with coral section. Books listed: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, Governing the Commons by Elinor Ostrom, The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser (obviously), and The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker. Decorative 3D geometric shapes in bottom right corner. Reading list on coral background with purple footer. Title reads 'Let us know what we're missing!' Books listed: Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, Governable Spaces by Nathan Schneider, Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy by Audrey Tang & E. Glen Weyl, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Decorative 3D geometric shapes in bottom right corner.
October 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
newpublic.org
How will technology continue to shape how we talk to each other? We’re seeking a researcher to help tackle big questions like this.

Working with Co-Director @eli.bsky.social, this is a chance to engage with experts, dive into the research, and contribute directly to the field and our strategy.
Job posting graphic with coral orange background featuring white text that reads "NOW HIRING Research Fellow - AI & The Future of Social Conversation" with an abstract geometric illustration of a door or archway. Details include 20-25 hours per week, $40/hour, remote position for U.S. or Canada, working through 2/28/26.
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
newpublic.org
There’s never been a better time to build the local, healthy, digital spaces we want and deserve.

If you’re in San Francisco tomorrow (October 1st), join our Co-Founder Deepti Doshi at the Good Neighbor Hack-a-Thon and be a part of the solution!

www.sfgoodneighborweek.org/good-neighbo...
Retro computer monitor displaying 'GOOD NEIGHBOR HACK-A-THON' with 'Hello, neighbor!' (where 'world' is crossed out) on screen. Two seals wearing Victorian houses as hats sit on either side of the beige computer, surrounded by yellow circular glows and white dash marks. A coffee cup sits in front of the keyboard. The background is bright magenta/purple.
September 30, 2025 at 5:06 PM
newpublic.org
This is why it matters that billionaires are consolidating control over what we all pay attention to, including social media.

h/t @kyla.bsky.social

kyla.substack.com/p/whos-getti...
Why does this matter? Because controlling the means of mass communication means controlling the narrative. It’s the attention economy version of a monopoly. When one person (or a small elite) owns the newspapers, the TV stations, and the social media platforms, there is no room for alternate voices. But it’s sort of like… everyone gets their own information ecosystem. Elon Musk owns Twitter, which he leveraged into helping Trump win the 2024 election. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and has nudged into being more accommodating. Mark Zuckerberg controls an empire of social apps and has faced repeated accusations of algorithmic bias.
September 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM