Recode Decode: Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden

Decoder with Nilay Patel · with Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden · June 19, 2020 · 48 min

Summary

This episode dissects the potential dystopian future of social media through the lens of young adult literature. It explores how mandated social media participation could lead to intense pressure for online perfection and the perils of "mob justice." The discussion provides valuable insights into the social implications of pervasive digital platforms for ecommerce operators navigating brand reputation and customer engagement.

Key takeaways

• Understand the potential for 'mob justice' and negative public sentiment to rapidly impact brand reputation on social media platforms.
• Recognize the pressure points social media places on individuals (and by extension, customers), particularly around maintaining a "perfect" online persona, which can inform empathy in customer interactions.
• Consider the ethical implications of platform design and content moderation, even if not directly developing platforms, as these impact the broader digital ecosystem where ecommerce brands operate.
• Analyze the authors’ suggestions for improving platforms like Twitter and Instagram to understand potential future directions in social media governance and features that could impact marketing and customer service.

Themes

Topics covered

Episode description

The Hive authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how they came to write a young adult book about a social media dystopia, based on a cinematic idea from actor Jennifer Beals and producer Tom Jacobson. The 2019 book is set "five minutes in the future," where social media participation is mandated by the government for everyone over 13, which introduces some familiar social issues: The pressure to be perfect when everything is public, and the risk of mob justice when you step out of line. Lyga and Baden also explain what works in YA literature now, their mixed feelings about the power of social media and "cancel culture," and how they would attempt to fix platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Featuring: Barry Lyga (@barrylyga) and Morgan Baden (@MorganBaden), co-authors, The Hive Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Frequently asked about this episode

What does this episode say about brand & content?

Understand the potential for 'mob justice' and negative public sentiment to rapidly impact brand reputation on social media platforms.

What does this episode say about founder & leadership?

Recognize the pressure points social media places on individuals (and by extension, customers), particularly around maintaining a "perfect" online persona, which can inform empathy in customer interactions.

What does this episode say about brand & content?

Consider the ethical implications of platform design and content moderation, even if not directly developing platforms, as these impact the broader digital ecosystem where ecommerce brands operate.

What does this episode say about brand & content?

Analyze the authors’ suggestions for improving platforms like Twitter and Instagram to understand potential future directions in social media governance and features that could impact marketing and customer service.

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