By Prithvi Iyer
Social media platforms have redefined communication by shifting the role of content curation from traditional editorial gatekeepers to largely algorithmic systems that reward content based on engagement metrics. Scholars have argued that algorithms optimized for engagement inadvertently reward content that elicits strong emotions, exacerbating polarization and, in some instances, amplifying disinformation. Platforms have resorted to top-down content moderation and fact-checking initiatives to deal with the issue. While these efforts have had some positive results, they have also been criticized for impinging on free speech and alienating Global Majority countries where content moderation infrastructure is grossly insufficient.
This begs the question: can social media platforms be designed in ways that incentivize social cohesion? A new research paper from E. Glen Weyl, Luke Thorburn, Emillie de Keulenaar, Jacob Mchangama, Divya Siddharth, and Audrey Tang provides insights into this by proposing design features based on plurality and cohesion instead of engagement. Through this research, the authors engage with a growing community of technologists and researchers interested in “translating social cohesion into platform design.” Below, I distill their findings and describe the alternative social media model presented in the paper and how it could work in practice.
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Jacob Mchangama is the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. He is also a research professor at Vanderbilt University and a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).