Local Digital Social Networks

We agree with those who think revitalizing place-based identities and local engagement may help to break down these walls. If we redirect people’s attention back to local politics and working with fellow community members on projects that have a tangible impact, perhaps we can restart a positive feedback loop and regenerate the crosscutting connect... See more

With technologies that can now facilitate discussion and decision-making among groups both big and small, we must ask if we can build new kinds of intermediating digital spaces, ones that provide perspective, attention, and action on shared rather than personal problems, while at the same time accommodating discussion and deliberation at local as w... See more

Many online spaces for political discussions are no better. To paraphrase Audrey Tang, Facebook is like trying to have a political discussion in a nightclub. (11) Some online spaces are far worse, involving people or bots who take a “no-holds-barred” approach to the things they say, or worse, may actively seek to incite a virtual mob to go after yo... See more

First, identity authentication can ensure that everyone on the platform is a human entitled to join the platform...no bots, and maybe no commercial companies. It used to be that knowing someone’s identity was necessary to ensure that they had rights to participate. But much of the toxicity of current social media interactions is about identities as... See more

The work of political theorist Bernardo Zacka illuminates the importance of “in-between spaces.” Zacka’s focus is on physical spaces, such as balconies on apartment buildings that overlook the street, and how they can enable what Zacka calls a “reserved sociability” that strengthens pluralism in democratic societies. (12) When the driver of a car s... See more

But it also seems clear that reinforcing local community structures should not be the only approach. So many towns and neighborhoods in the United States are effectively mini-one-party states. With the demographic sorting that has taken place over the last 40 years, focusing our attention primarily on local politics and participation in local decis... See more

Because each participant can remain anonymous and their input can be separated from their personal identity, they can feel protected. This can make them feel freer to speak, or equally important, not to speak, and simply survey the comments of others as they appear on the collective screen.