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newpublic.org
New_ Public
@newpublic.org
3.1K followers 480 following 1.2K posts
We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community. newpublic.org
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newpublic.org
Building for communities, not profits! 💪

Pumped about the launch of Bonfire, a new microblogging platform that is fully interoperable and modular so people can pick and choose the features that work best for their community.

bonfirenetworks.org
Banner with the words Bonfire and an illustration of a yellow campfire, against a dark grey static-y background.
November 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
newpublic.org
Like many small nonprofits, we’ve been experimenting with using AI tools so that we can focus on our mission of reinforcing human connections, conversations, and communities.

We remain mindful of the harms and risks of AI, and have developed a set of guiding principles grounded in our values.
New_ Public’s Guiding Principles for AI We learn in public through transparency. We keep humans in the driver's seat. We navigate AI's inherent biases. We embrace friction and slow, intentional thinking. We navigate nuance and complexity by cultivating a flexible, evolving approach. We design for pluralism and center the public good. We empower our team through continuous learning and open dialogue.
November 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
newpublic.org
A lot of Americans get news on social media, but what platforms count as news destinations?

X and FB are still holding strong, and TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are increasingly used for news.

via @pewresearch.org
Chart showing trends in news consumption across social media platforms from 2020-2025. Line graphs display the percentage of each platform's users who regularly get news there. X (Twitter) leads at 57%, followed by TikTok at 55%, Truth Social at 55%, Facebook at 53%, Instagram at 41%, YouTube at 41%, Reddit at 35%, Threads at 34%, Nextdoor at 33%, Rumble at 49%, Bluesky at 38%, WhatsApp at 15%, and other platforms. Most platforms show general upward trends over the five-year period, with TikTok showing particularly steep growth from 22% to 55%. Facebook remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 53-54%. Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted August 18-24, 2025.
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
newpublic.org
Cory Doctorow, on point as always, points out how “enshittification” has ruined so many of our experiences online, and what we can do about it together.

www.vox.com/technology/4...
Screenshot of an article: What gives me hope is what my friend James Boyle says about “ecology.” Before that word entered the lexicon, you could care about owls and I could care about the ozone layer and we’d both be “right” without realizing we were on the same side. A shared frame reveals a common cause. Today, the shared frame is the fight against consolidated corporate power. If we connect the dots — between your crappy search results, your locked-down car, your exploding drug prices, your brittle supply chains, and your polarized feeds — we can build a coalition with enough mass to change the rules.
November 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
newpublic.org
We need new kinds of bridges.

And inspired by the physical bridges that go beyond logistics, we’re developing new digital products and tools that are useful, healthy, and joyful.
Three circular images on purple background labeled 'Useful,' 'Healthy,' and 'Joyful.' Useful shows power tools and equipment, Healthy shows a colorful fresh salad bowl with various vegetables, and Joyful shows bright rainbow-colored balloons.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
But too often, popular apps and websites are a bridge to nowhere.

Too much of social media leads us to feeds full of AI slop, nonstop ads, partisan flame wars, and engagement bait from people we don’t know.
Collage of news headlines and articles about Facebook Groups moderation challenges. Visible headlines include 'Facebook tries to clean up Groups with new policies' from TechCrunch, 'Facebook Knew Calls for Violence Plagued Groups, Now Plans Overhaul' from The Wall Street Journal, and 'Facebook Is Everywhere; Its Moderation Is Nowhere Close' from Wired. Text snippet visible mentions algorithm elevating posts that encourage interaction including divisive content.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
We often think of a bridge as something that literally connects landmasses.

But bridges don't just connect places, they connect people. And with the right design, they can enable awe, joy, and unity.

Like Iran's Khaju Bridge, which has become a public space where people meet, picnic, and debate.
Illuminated historic bridge with ornate arched architecture lit in golden light at dusk, reflected in calm water. Three circular inset photos show: people sitting in an arched alcove of the bridge, a black and white checkerboard pattern on steps leading to the bridge with crowds of people, and a nighttime performance or gathering inside a bridge arch.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
As part of our mission, we’re committed to building new online infrastructure to foster community and civic health. But what does that actually look like?

Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration.

In this case, BRIDGES
Aerial view of a historic stone bridge with multiple arches spanning across a turquoise river, connecting two hillside towns with mountains in the background under a cloudy sky. Quote by Ivo Andric about bridges overlaid on the image reads: 'Of all the things created and built by humankind, nothing in my mind is better or worthier than bridges. They belong to all and treat all alike; they are useful, built for purpose, at a spot where most human needs entwine.
October 30, 2025 at 2:35 PM
newpublic.org
Traditionally, showing up at a town meeting has been a cornerstone of participatory democracy. Today, in person engagement isn’t always convenient or realistic.

But California is showing that when people have the right tools, they are ready to have civil, thoughtful, and productive conversations.
Purple background with white and yellow text displaying a quote from Jeffery Marino, Director of California Office of Digital Innovation. The quote reads: "We shouldn't have to wait for an election cycle or depend on only the traditional avenues of interacting with our government leaders. [Engaged California is] not seeking to replace any of those, but rather add a new avenue so we can engage with Californians on what's impacting them in their day-to-day lives." A decorative isometric illustration of stacked platform layers appears in the bottom right corner in light purple tones.
October 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
newpublic.org
Doubling down on AI slop may seem like a strange move, but @kyla.bsky.social sees a convergent evolution in Open AI’s Sora: when all else fails, tech companies turn to social media’s tried and true advertising structure.

kyla.substack.com/p/ai-is-the-...
Social media is a last-resort monetization model: When tech companies can’t make enough money on software licensing, subscriptions, or enterprise products, they default to attention. It’s reliable: people scroll; advertisers pay. The thing to watch here is that people are increasingly upset by social media, with almost 50% of teens saying that it harms people their age. John Burn Murdoch argues that we have passed peak social media.
October 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM
newpublic.org
This may sound crazy, but New_ Public’s Rob Ennals only uses his phone 3-4 times a week.

This doesn’t mean he’s disconnected. By treating his smartphone more like a landline, Rob argues he can dispense with the distracting features and be more present.

messyprogress.substack.com/p/going-phon...
Close-up of an Apple Watch on Rob's wrist displaying a Siri response that reads 'OK, I added it' with a reminder titled 'Not use my phone' listed below. A minimalist wooden desk setup against a white textured wall, featuring a laptop standing vertically, a phone on a wireless charging stand, a black portable speaker, two flashlights (one red, one blue), a bamboo organizer with slots, and a storage shelf below containing papers and folders.
October 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
newpublic.org
How well did we really know the terms of our bargain with social media when we agreed to participate?

Tracy Durnell argues we’ve traded authenticity for aesthetics, and privacy for belonging.

tracydurnell.com/2025/09/21/h...
A screenshot of a social media graphic with a light pink background and red vertical line on the left margin. The text reads: "The imperative to participate—as media users, content creators and curators, and members of virtual communities—has become a defining aspect of digital life... What sets participation in the contemporary digital era apart from preceding manifestations, however, is its omnipresent and compulsory qualities." Below this, additional text states: "We feel obligated to weigh in on 'Social Media Events'" (with red underline). "The 'online disinhibition effect'" (with red underline) "means we reveal more about ourselves to people online than we would in person. Our increased participation has had follow-on effects: by training us to share everything, social media has evaporated our expectations for privacy" (highlighted in blue) "and built a culture of sousveillance and surveillance."
October 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
newpublic.org
The obsession with making the next “everything app” is taking us some weird places.

As @stokel.bsky.social says, “Most attempts to ride the zeitgeist are shallow grabs at relevance. The best features, in the best apps, are developed with deep thought about how to benefit users.”

archive.is/q66C4
Screenshot from an article. The text reads: "WHY NOBODY WANTS A DO-IT-ALL APP In the press release announcing the feature, the music streaming giant promises that 'Messages are for the conversations you're already having about music, podcasts and audiobooks with your friends and family.' But the flaw is right there in the pitch: if you're already having those conversations on WhatsApp or iMessage, why would you uproot them into a side-channel inside Spotify? At best it duplicates what's happening elsewhere, and at worst it fractures the conversation into yet another notification stream. (Fortunately, users can turn off the function, too.)" A portion of the text is highlighted in light blue.
October 8, 2025 at 5:49 PM
newpublic.org
With social media algorithms rewarding surprising videos filmed in public and internet detectives going viral, it’s no accident that anonymity is disappearing and we’re all opting in to unending surveillance.

archive.is/s5mQQ
Living in the panopticon means every person you meet is also someone who can ruin your life. Take “West Elm Caleb,” a guy who went viral for… dating. Apparently, he met women on dating apps, was briefly enthusiastic, and then ghosted them. (Not great behavior, but hardly uncommon.) Of course he was immediately doxxed. As the internet has increasingly traded on dating app screenshots for content, people have begun writing responses to each other with the assumption that the conversation won’t remain private. That does seem counter to, you know, dating, since a successful relationship requires vulnerability, the exact thing online daters now avoid.
October 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
newpublic.org
Introducing the New_ Public Canon: A non-exhaustive, in-no-particular-order selection of books about communities, technology, and civic life that our team loves and references (almost) every day.

What are we missing? Any recommendations?
Reading list titled 'The New_ Public Reading List Part 1: The Big Books' on purple background with coral section. Books listed: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, Governing the Commons by Elinor Ostrom, The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser (obviously), and The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker. Decorative 3D geometric shapes in bottom right corner. Reading list on coral background with purple footer. Title reads 'Let us know what we're missing!' Books listed: Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, Governable Spaces by Nathan Schneider, Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy by Audrey Tang & E. Glen Weyl, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Decorative 3D geometric shapes in bottom right corner.
October 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
newpublic.org
How will technology continue to shape how we talk to each other? We’re seeking a researcher to help tackle big questions like this.

Working with Co-Director @eli.bsky.social, this is a chance to engage with experts, dive into the research, and contribute directly to the field and our strategy.
Job posting graphic with coral orange background featuring white text that reads "NOW HIRING Research Fellow - AI & The Future of Social Conversation" with an abstract geometric illustration of a door or archway. Details include 20-25 hours per week, $40/hour, remote position for U.S. or Canada, working through 2/28/26.
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
newpublic.org
There’s never been a better time to build the local, healthy, digital spaces we want and deserve.

If you’re in San Francisco tomorrow (October 1st), join our Co-Founder Deepti Doshi at the Good Neighbor Hack-a-Thon and be a part of the solution!

www.sfgoodneighborweek.org/good-neighbo...
Retro computer monitor displaying 'GOOD NEIGHBOR HACK-A-THON' with 'Hello, neighbor!' (where 'world' is crossed out) on screen. Two seals wearing Victorian houses as hats sit on either side of the beige computer, surrounded by yellow circular glows and white dash marks. A coffee cup sits in front of the keyboard. The background is bright magenta/purple.
September 30, 2025 at 5:06 PM
newpublic.org
This is why it matters that billionaires are consolidating control over what we all pay attention to, including social media.

h/t @kyla.bsky.social

kyla.substack.com/p/whos-getti...
Why does this matter? Because controlling the means of mass communication means controlling the narrative. It’s the attention economy version of a monopoly. When one person (or a small elite) owns the newspapers, the TV stations, and the social media platforms, there is no room for alternate voices. But it’s sort of like… everyone gets their own information ecosystem. Elon Musk owns Twitter, which he leveraged into helping Trump win the 2024 election. Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post and has nudged into being more accommodating. Mark Zuckerberg controls an empire of social apps and has faced repeated accusations of algorithmic bias.
September 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
newpublic.org
There’s a bold future possible for media organizations that prioritize real conversation online.

As @kqedforum.bsky.social's experiment shows, building a digital space where people can actually discuss news and culture in a healthy way can help bolster trust, understanding, and support for the org.
A quote graphic with geometric shapes in teal, orange, and yellow. The quote reads "Everybody in media should be trying to solve the pressing question of how to have direct conversations with and build trust with their audiences." attributed to Francesca Fenzi, KQED Digital Community Producer. The New_Public logo appears in the bottom right corner.
September 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
newpublic.org
There’s a lot of lessons to learn from @kqedforum.bsky.social’s Discord on how media orgs can successfully build a prosocial digital community.

Two key ingredients:

🤝 Stewardship shared by both staff and community members.

💬 Norms encouraging people to engage respectfully, even on tough topics.
Screenshot of a server rules agreement page with dark blue background. The page is titled 'One last step! Read & Agree to Server Rules' and contains 6 numbered rules: Rule #1 Be respectful and kind - no harassment, hate speech, or discrimination; Rule #2 Keep it clean - limit excessive profanity and explicit content; Rule #3 Focus on the facts - commitment to accurate information as a journalistic program; Rule #4 Stay calm and discourse on - assume good intentions in difficult conversations; Rule #5 Promoting community, not advertising - no commercial promotion; Rule #6 Make yourself at home - encourages participation and sharing. At the bottom are 'Back' and 'Finish' buttons, with text stating that clicking 'Finish' indicates agreement to the server rules.
September 25, 2025 at 2:37 PM
newpublic.org
📅 TOMORROW

New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social goes through the research driving our work, and breaks down how to design healthy, community-centered digital spaces with @frontporchforum.bsky.social’s Jason Van Driesche.

RSVP here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Event announcement graphic with a teal and pink gradient background featuring the Healthy Places by Design logo. Text reads 'JOIN US SEPTEMBER 24, 2025' and 'Using Digital Spaces to Strengthen Social Connections.' Schedule shows 'Webinar from 3-4 pm ET, Discussion Group from 4-5 PM ET.' Two circular headshot photos show speakers: Deepti Doshi, Co-Director at New_Public, and Jason Van Driesche, Chief of Staff at Front Porch Forum.
September 23, 2025 at 1:33 PM
newpublic.org
New_ Public Fellow Miriam Tinberg breaks down the case for social media protocols vs platforms.

As @rude1.blacksky.team said in our recent Substack post, ATProtocol works like traffic laws:

Protocol = what's underneath (traffic laws)
Platform = what’s built on top (roads)
September 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
newpublic.org
RESEARCH: Participating in local conversations can strengthen your connection to your community, online & off.

A study found active, long-term participants in their local subreddit were more likely to be civically involved & report a higher sense of belonging.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Two side-by-side charts comparing outcomes between random subreddits (blue) and city subreddits (orange) based on subscription tenure. Chart (a) shows "Sense of Local Belonging by Subreddit Tenure" with y-axis from 3.8 to 4.15. For subscriptions of 7 days or less, both subreddit types show similar scores around 3.95-3.97 with overlapping confidence intervals. For subscriptions longer than 7 days, city subreddits increase to about 4.13 while random subreddits decrease to about 3.92, creating a clear separation. Chart (b) shows "Political Participation by Subreddit Tenure" with y-axis from 2.3 to 2.8. The pattern reverses here: for short tenure (≤7 days), both types score similarly around 2.5-2.65. For longer tenure (>7 days), city subreddits increase to about 2.8 while random subreddits decrease to about 2.4. The caption explains that differences between city and random subreddits become more pronounced with longer subscription periods for both local belonging and political participation measures.
September 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
newpublic.org
Wikipedia’s emphasis on process, deliberation, and consensus building is perhaps the key to their success.

As one editor puts it in this article from @theverge.com: “Sometimes boring is good. Boring is credible.”

archive.is/k3Spr
Screenshot of text that reads: "This is obviously not the reigning dynamic of the rest of the internet. The social platforms where culture and politics increasingly play out are governed by algorithms that have the opposite effect of Wikipedia's bureaucracy in nearly every respect. Optimized to capture attention, they boost the novel, extreme, and sensational rather than subjecting them to increased scrutiny, and by sending content to users most likely to engage with it, they sort people into clusters of mutual agreement. This phenomenon has many names. Filter bubbles, epistemological fragmentation, bespoke realities, the sense that everyone has lost their minds. On Wikipedia, it's called a 'point of view split,' and editors banned it early. You are simply not allowed to make a new article on the same topic. Instead, you must make the case for a given perspective's place amid all the others while staying, literally, on the same page."
September 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
newpublic.org
Despite new laws like the UK’s Online Safety Act, researchers are still finding a lot of harmful content on social platforms available to teens and children.

A new report found teens are still shown and recommended harmful content at an "industrial scale."

mollyrosefoundation.org/suicide-and-...
Table showing the proportion of most-engaged content on TikTok using suicide, self-harm and depression related hashtags found to contain harmful material. The table compares 2023 research (n=617) to 2025 research (n=514) across five content types: "Promotes and glorifies suicide or self-harm" decreased from 4% to 3%; "References suicide methods" stayed at 2%; "References suicide and/or self-harm ideation" increased from 16% to 22%; "Contains feelings of intense depression, misery and despair" increased from 49% to 66%; and "Total content likely to be harmful" increased from 49% to 66%. The text above notes that the proportion of harmful content has substantially increased since November 2023, when just under half (40%) of posts were classified as harmful.
September 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM