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summary
Argues that platform design — badges, point systems, always-on mobile networks and recommendation algorithms — amplifies outrage and produces engagement-driven polarization, citing Twitter studies showing far more in-group retweets than cross-group sharing on polarizing topics and Pew data that polarization spikes between 2004 and 2014 and earlier drops in empathy. Describes building Sway beta, a prototype that surfaces contentious topics and asks users to rate thoughtfulness and agreement; early tests show people can separate thoughtfulness from agreement and sustain more measured exchanges.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Introduction and promise
- 3:46Harry Potter online forums
- 7:36Rise of social networks
- 10:27Online conversation problems
- 15:05Polarization and engagement
- 21:35Introducing Sway project
- 25:54What you can do now
- 31:21Moral obligation of technologists
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