UMass Amherst’s Ethan Zuckerman to Present “How to Fix Social Media” April 13 at Mount Ida Campus

Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will present “How to Fix Social Media," a talk for community members, Wednesday, April 13, at 4 p.m. at the Mount Ida Campus Center. The event, part of the UMass Amherst Mount Ida Campus Faculty Speaker Series, is free and open to public.

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While social media is still relatively new to our society, people have become better critics of online platforms. Zuckerman notes there is a broader recognition that the online environment has been constructed by those who may not have the public’s best interest at heart. Now that we know the system is broken, Zuckerman asks, how do we fix it?

In this talk, Zuckerman, an associate professor of public policy, communication and information and computer sciences at UMass Amherst, will discuss how it is increasingly clear that we cannot expect the makers of social media platforms to self-correct issues that could cause harm to their users. It is also clear that governments worldwide are unlikely to fully tackle legislation that would hold social media companies accountable for their actions, he says. With no help on the horizon from these stakeholders, he believes that change may have to come from individuals who recognize the problems within online platforms and implement new, innovative ways to make end runs around the system.

Prior to joining UMass Amherst in 2020, Zuckerman was the director of the MIT Center for Civic Media and a professor of practice in media arts and sciences at the MIT Media Lab. He is the author of several books, including the most recently published “Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them.” He was also recently featured in the UMass Amherst video Changemakers series.

Registration for the event can be completed via Eventbrite or by calling 617-243-1119.