New Business Models for the 21st Century Care

We are social beings: togetherness and community are deeply anchored in us. Yet social media companies don’t serve this need. Advertising-based revenue models lead them to prioritizing engagement and growth over the health of the communities and people. Hate speech, misinformation, and polarizing public debate all threaten peace and stability as a result.

An alternative future is possible: there are hundreds of engineers, developers, and designers building new, healthy digital products and spaces. Similarly, there are many unpaid volunteers moderating and administering communities. These builders and stewards can be the engine of a healthy new wave of prosocial social media, but they lack support and funding.

To realize this, the panelists will explore alternatives to the most common advertising- and subscription-based business models. The aim is to explore new avenues for financially supporting healthy conversation and meaningful connection on digital platforms with the audience.