The Death of the Newsfeed: Overload and the Tragedy of the Commons

The Death of the Newsfeed: Overload and the Tragedy of the Commons

In the age of social media, we have become accustomed to the constant stream of information that fills our newsfeeds. Facebook, in particular, has become a platform where we share our thoughts, photos, and everyday experiences with our network of friends and acquaintances. But is this constant sharing and consuming of content sustainable? Benedict Evans, in his article "The death of the newsfeed," explores the idea that the newsfeed as we know it may be coming to an end.

One of the factors contributing to the potential demise of the newsfeed is Dunbar's number. This rule of thumb suggests that we can only maintain meaningful relationships with a limited number of people, typically around 150. With Facebook allowing us to connect with hundreds or even thousands of "friends," it's no wonder that our newsfeeds become overwhelmed. We simply cannot keep up with the constant stream of updates from everyone we are connected to.

Additionally, there is Zuckerberg's law, which states that people tend to share more and more on social media over time. The asymmetric nature of the newsfeed makes it seem normal to post frequently, even if the content is not particularly important or relevant. This leads to overload, where our feeds become inundated with trivial updates, making it difficult to find the content that truly matters to us.

This overload phenomenon brings us to the tragedy of the commons. While we are encouraged to post and share on social media platforms, the more content we contribute, the more we overload each other's newsfeeds. It becomes a vicious cycle where everyone is posting, but no one is truly being heard. The desire to share conflicts with the desire to be heard, creating a disjointed and overwhelming experience for users.

The issue of overload is not unique to social media platforms like Facebook. Google, for example, has been successful in showing users exactly what they want based on their search history. However, Facebook lacks this direct signal. It struggles to determine what content it should show to users and what it should filter out. While your uncle's shared post may not be relevant to you, it still appears in your newsfeed, adding to the overload.

One possible solution to the overload problem is a shift in focus from "what do I want to see?" to "what do my friends want (or need) me to see?" This would require a reimagining of the newsfeed, prioritizing content that is important and relevant to our connections rather than simply what we want to consume. By emphasizing the needs of our network, we can create a more meaningful and engaging experience on social media.

In a similar vein, Glasp, an AI application that offers YouTube summaries with ChatGPT, tackles the issue of compartmentalization of information. Glasp allows users to annotate and organize web-based quotations and ideas in one place, making it easier to access and share knowledge. The ultimate goal of Glasp is to enable the quick and easy access to all information from the highlighted parts of the world.

By storing our wisdom, understanding, and experiences in private places, such as note-taking apps, we limit the ability for others to access that knowledge once we are gone. Cooperative learning and the sharing of knowledge across generations are crucial for intellectual advancement. If the knowledge gained by one age cannot be shared with another, it becomes a significant setback for everyone.

Glasp offers a solution by allowing users to highlight and annotate important passages in articles and videos. This makes it simple to absorb the main points and refer back to them in the future. By breaking down the barriers of compartmentalization, Glasp promotes cooperative learning and knowledge sharing.

In conclusion, the death of the newsfeed may be imminent due to overload and the tragedy of the commons. The constant stream of content and the lack of effective filtering make it challenging for users to find meaningful and relevant information. However, by shifting the focus to the needs of our connections and embracing tools like Glasp that facilitate cooperative learning, we can create a more engaging and intellectually stimulating online experience.

Actionable advice:

1. Evaluate your social media usage and consider trimming your friend list to prioritize meaningful connections.
2. Make a conscious effort to share content that is important and relevant to your network, rather than simply adding to the overload.
3. Explore tools like Glasp that allow you to highlight and annotate important passages, making it easier to access and share knowledge.