How We’re Rebuilding the Internet (and What Might Break It Again)
The vibes are better on emerging platforms, but AI slop is coming for us all.
The digital landscape is fragmented and continues to fragment further. Currently, that’s a political disadvantage for the pro-democracy crowd, but long-term, I think it might be a good thing. During the first Trump term, most tech advocacy centered around pushing a few big platforms to change their policies. There were numerous campaigns targeting Facebook (now Meta), Google/YouTube (now Alphabet), and Twitter (now X), largely because they were the platforms with the largest user bases. Media outlets, political campaigns, advocacy groups, and independent content creators who wanted audience and reach were forced to rely on these platforms and the whims of algorithms and pivots.
That’s a lot of concentrated power over what we consumed and how much of it reached us. The big platforms might not technically be monopolies, but they certainly function like monopolies. However, that dominance has led to widespread frustration among consumers and those trying to reach them. Which is why so many alternative platforms are emerging and attracting users who no longer enjoy what the big platforms are offering. Some of this fragmentation has been along political lines, with MAGA building alternative social media platforms like Rumble and TruthSocial, and anti-Trump folks setting up shop on Bluesky.
Over at his newsletter, Chaotic Era, Kyle Tharp writes about an interesting migration I hadn’t realized was happening: lefty content is having a moment on Substack and currently dominating the platform. Tharp writes, “Substack’s growing influence—and its authors’ unmistakable lean to the left—is clearest on the company’s 'bestsellers’ list, which ranks publications by paid subscriber count. Of the 100 top-selling titles in the U.S. Politics category, 81 are left-leaning or progressive.”
Tharp sees Substack as a Twitter alternative, and I don’t necessarily agree with him on that point. But I’m fascinated by how anti-Trump content and audience has grown on the platform, particularly given Substack’s continued Nazi problem. I probably shouldn’t be, though, since my own newsletter saw staggering growth in new and paid subscribers starting after the election last year and running through the end of the first quarter of 2025. It makes sense, too, if you follow Rob Flaherty’s theory that anti-Trump voters are opt-in and enjoy consuming political content. Longform newsletters with political and media content would, of course, hold appeal for that audience.
For all the current complaining that Bluesky is a lefty echo chamber for political purists, I assume much of the Substack growth might come from that platform. Certainly, this was true for my newsletter, but I don’t have any data showing that’s true across the board. Most of my favorite writers who have newsletters on Substack are also wildly popular on Bluesky, though. I’d be curious to see that overlay and how each platform has impacted the other’s growth for an anti-Trump audience. Same for X, as I suspect the poor engagement over there might account for why the reactionary and MAGA Right aren’t doing as well on Substack as they once were.
A related piece that caught my eye this week is John Oliver’s segment on AI slop, and the volume of AI-generated content that currently exists online. Oliver isn’t only talking about AI slop on the older, larger platforms, but it’s pretty clearly dominating platforms like Facebook. The segment is a fantastic explainer on what AI-generated content is, how it's created, and how some of the platforms are encouraging and subsidizing it. But what Oliver really does well is explain the role AI slop can play in warping reality. He shows reaction videos from adults showing their parents being duped by poorly made AI content and the way its existence can erode our trust in anything we see online, even from verified sources.
AI slop isn’t limited to the big platforms, but they’re clearly more incentivized to encourage cheap AI-generated content that will drive engagement than the upstarts. Fragmentation and niche communities are obviously still prone to AI slop, but users are more likely to be on the lookout for it and reject it.
I don’t know where all of this is headed, but I won’t miss the era of Big Tech monopoly, and the toxicity it’s created. We deserve a better internet and better spaces to congregate and build community. Obviously, we’re not there yet, and the dominance of AI slop is a huge concern. But the emergence of alternative platforms makes me hopeful. I’d love to see us learn from the mistakes of Web 2.0 and build communities where people actually want to spend time again.
ICYMI
Introducing The Overreach Monitor: A Catholics for Choice Watchdog (Catholics for Choice)
I’m really excited about this newsletter from Catholics for Choice covering what they term “Catholic overreach into our politics.” A must-read for anyone looking to understand the American Religious Right and how it intersects with the MAGA coalition.
‘Big Balls’ No Longer Works for the US Government (Wired)
I hope I never have to read or type the nickname ‘Big Balls’ again. Goodbye and good riddance.
Proud Boys Slam Trump For His Attack On Iran (HuffPost)
Always fun when the MAGA coalition fights amongst themselves. And nothing makes them fight quite like foreign policy and the use of the military overseas.
‘Less Burnout, More Babies’: How Conservatives Are Winning Young Women (NY Times)
Former NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch has rebranded herself as a trad wife influencer. Because, of course, she has.
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Coda
No newsletter next Sunday as I’m taking off for the July 4 holiday. Publication will resume on July 13.
In lieu of a patriotic GIF this week, please enjoy my favorite Will Ferrell sketch of all time.
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There's a new social media platform coming to Canada, Gander: https://gandersocial.ca/
From their website:
The Social Media You Want, Built for Canada
Fun, private, and ethical. We're changing the way social media is done around here, all without your personal data taking an unexpected trip down south.
From their Vision page:
Socials That'll Make You Smile
A feed you control, data privacy you can trust, and tools to spot trolls before they ruin your day. All hosted in Canada. We're building social media that doesn't make you want to throw your phone into a lake.
Substack is the only potential competitor to YouTube--not to X, nor, certainly, to Facebook. For me I don't bother reading Substack articles. What it needs is an app, one that works on Roku, Apple, Firestick, etc. Then I will use it. Otherwise, why would I bother with Substack, when innumerable newsletters and YouTube videos are already covering the same material?