'Peeep. You've been connected to the wrong number.' This time, the problem isn't your phone connection, but the platforms that dominate most of the internet: social media. What once seemed like a place for connection is now a place where the connection is more than lost. During Dutch Design Week, Waag Futurelab will explore how we can reconnect again online.
Antisocial media
Social media are no longer social. Big tech platforms such as Meta and X determine what we see in our news feeds and are a breeding ground for disinformation, hate speech and political manipulation. Social media algorithms encourage outrage, controversy and extreme (or even far-right) opinions generate clicks. A perverse revenue model prevails over human connection. We can say that social media have become an antisocial space.
That's a shame, because social media should be a place for exchange, where you learn from each other and get inspired. The good news: there are alternatives! It is possible to share news and updates with friends and followers without using big tech.
During Dutch Design Week, Waag will explore how we can reconnect online. Visit our booth to get a sneak peek of the future of social media. Discover what is so problematic about the internet and what we can change to ensure that no single central player has power over our socials, but that responsibility and ownership are shared. Finally, we are very curious about your wishes and feelings about connection. Leave a message after the tone and tell us how you see the future of social media!
Election debate: Our digital society
How will the parties and their candidates commit to digitisation in the Netherlands in the coming years? Find out during the election debate on our digital society on 22 October at 16:30 hrs at Stay Okay, Klokgebouw 10, Eindhoven.
During this debate, politicians from various parties will have the opportunity to present their perspectives. How will the Netherlands position itself in relation to big tech? What role should AI and algorithms play and how can their usage be organised in a responsible and transparent manner? And how can we ensure that citizens and civil society remain represented in these major technological decisions?
Entrance is free, register here. The debate will be in Dutch.
Opening: Vortex Harmonies
On October 23, join us at 16:00 hrs outside the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven for the opening of Vortex Harmonies by Arcangelo Constantini: an open-air installation that combines art and science to restore water quality. The installation is the result of Constantini's residency at Waag Futurelab. It explores the intersection of sound, sustainable technology, and water ecology.
Dutch Design Week
Dutch Design Week (DDW) is annual event showcasing the best of Dutch design. DDW organises and facilitates exhibitions, lectures, award ceremonies, networking events, debates and festivities spread across a hundred locations throughout the city of Eindhoven.
Dutch Design Week 2024 will take place around Strijp-S in Eindhoven from 18 to 26 October. This year, Waag's booth can be found outside the Klokgebouw, on the central Ketelhuisplein, where the entrance to DDW is also located. The booth will be open every day from 11:00 hrs until 18:00 hrs.
For DDW, you can buy a one-time ticket worth €29.50, which gives you access to all exhibitions.
