Opt in to the digital ecosystem, on your own terms.
Quitting social media is having a moment. But what happens when the institutions and experts who serve the public opt out?
The digital world doesn’t go away. It simply leaves more room for others to shape public understanding.
I’m a former tech operator who spent years working on this exact problem. I built Meta’s global information ecosystem program and led it through COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and national elections and natural disasters around the world. Again and again, I saw people turn to whomever was available on digital platforms for help with making decisions and staying safe.
I’ve also seen the challenges that institutions and experts face in meeting them there. The advice to just create content isn’t realistic for most clinicians, crisis responders, scientists, educators, and civil servants who have full day jobs and were never set up to also become creators.
The good news is: you don’t have to create content to contribute to the digital ecosystem. Participation is a spectrum. And Feed for Thought is a space for figuring out how you opt into the digital ecosystem, on your own terms.
It works two ways. Experts can opt in through the active choices they make in how they participate in public discourse about their fields. And institutions can opt in by creating the culture, policies, and support that help their experts engage online safely and responsibly.
Here’s what you can expect by subscribing to Feed for Thought:
Insights on how trust and expertise are evolving online. Check out my piece on why short-form content is a vital part of the information ecosystem.
Tips and resources for institutional leaders and individual experts. Check out my pieces on social media policies for employees and the power of the lurker.
Case studies and interviews with institutional experts engaging online in their own ways. Check out my interview with the author of Public Health Matters.
Visit my site to learn more about me and how we can work together. I do this because I believe that information can save and change lives. Through small acts of opting in, we can build a world where everyone can find the information they need from someone they can trust.
Thanks for being here,
