'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!
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.
