The Future of Media
TED Talks are always a favorite, so when I was researching Substack on YouTube and saw that the founder, Hamish McKenzie, led one, I had to watch. In his talk, he suggests that platforms like Substack could be the future of media. Instead of media being controlled by a few in a top-down approach guided by algorithms, it places the power in the single subscriber. Relationships between consumers and content creators are built on trust rather than on ad metrics and clickbait. In a world where daily news feeds often feel chaotic, this was a refreshing take on the future of media.
It also connects with our exploration of networked knowledge. The act of subscribing to a creator not only helps build your knowledge network but also supports the future development and independence of these networks.
Take a moment to watch and let me know what you think!
I prefer following blogs instead of feeds because I can subscribe to people who consistently add value rather than relying on social media algorithms. I wonder if we'll see more of this down the road.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this one got me. I’ll admit it upfront — I’ve never been good at social media, and honestly not enjoying it is a big part of why I’m in this class. So a talk that reframes the whole thing around trust instead of the algorithm? That’s the most hopeful thing I’ve heard all semester.
ReplyDeleteThe line that’s sticking with me is McKenzie’s idea that hitting “subscribe” isn’t just a vanity metric — it’s a real signal of trust, and that trust is what actually earns you a voice in a community. That reframe matters a lot to me, because I’m building a mental health platform where trust isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the entire foundation. People won’t show up for something this vulnerable because an algorithm served it to them. They’ll show up because they believe it’s safe.
It makes me feel like the thing I’m building might actually reach people, instead of just shouting into the feed. Did the “garden vs. algorithm” framing land for you the same way — or did you read it differently?