'Peeep. You've been connected to the wrong number.' This time, the problem it's not your phone connection, but the platforms that dominate most of the internet: social media. What was once imagined and developed as 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.
Anti-social media
Social media are no longer social. They used to be a place for connection, but connection is hard to find these days. 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, and it is becoming increasingly clear that geopolitical motives play a decisive role. We can say that social media has become an antisocial space.
And 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! And 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 social media, but that responsibility and ownership are shared. Finally, we are very curious about your wishes and feelings about connection. Leave message after the tone and tell us how you see the future of social media!
Dutch Design Week
Dutch Design Week 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 19 to 27 October. This year, Waag Futurelab's Fix Your Phone Shop 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