Don't Feed the Neighbors' Kids
Uncanny Valley | WIRED19 Syys 2024

Don't Feed the Neighbors' Kids

One surefire way to go viral on Threads—the Meta-owned Instagram-spinoff social network with more than 200 million users—is to ask a ridiculous question that enrages your followers so much, they just have to chime in to answer you, mock you, or berate you. When it first launched last summer, Threads was seen as a blatant Twitter clone. At the time, that was an appealing attribute, as users fleeing the platform now known as X were looking for a new place to gather. Threads turned out to be a safe haven from the trolling and engagement bait on X, Reddit, and Facebook, but only for a while. Threads, like any for-profit social media site, was not able to keep those jokers and bad actors at bay. In its effort to boost engagement on the platform, Threads began prioritizing posts with the most replies and comments—which also happen to be the posts that stirred up the most drama and pissed everyone off.
This week on Gadget Lab, we chat with Business Insider senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos about her personal experiment with rage bait immersion on Threads. We also ask whether social media sites are making the right decision by catering to their most furious users.


Show Notes:
Read Katie’s story about ragebait on Threads. Read Lauren’s story about the new app SocialAI, where the only human is you, and everyone else is a bot.


Recommendations:
Katie recommends the reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu. Mike recommends the HBO show Industry. Lauren recommends the Apple TV+ show Slow Horses.


Katie Notopolous can be found on Threads @katienotopoulos. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(431)

ICE’s Secret Expansion Plans; Palantir Employees’ Ethical Concerns; AI Assistants

ICE’s Secret Expansion Plans; Palantir Employees’ Ethical Concerns; AI Assistants

This week, Brian, Leah, and Zoë discuss WIRED’s big scoop on ICE’s startling plans to expand to nearly every state in the US. Then, they unpack Alex Karp’s nearly-hour-long non-response to Palantir em...

12 Helmi 37min

Tech Elites in the Epstein Files; Musk’s Mega Merger; Crypto Scam Compound

Tech Elites in the Epstein Files; Musk’s Mega Merger; Crypto Scam Compound

This week, Brian and Leah dive into the key tech industry figures who show up in the final batch of the Epstein Files. Then, they discuss SpaceX and xAI’s blockbuster merger, and what it says about th...

5 Helmi 35min

BIG INTV: Fallout Director Jonathan Nolan Says He's Still a Techno-Optimist

BIG INTV: Fallout Director Jonathan Nolan Says He's Still a Techno-Optimist

Katie sits down with the Westworld showrunner, Jonah Nolan for a wide ranging conversation about what keeps him coming back to sci-fi storytelling about technology and human nature. After decades of w...

3 Helmi 48min

BIG INTV: Silicon Valley Tech Workers’ Campaign to Get ICE Out of US Cities

BIG INTV: Silicon Valley Tech Workers’ Campaign to Get ICE Out of US Cities

In the wake of the shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in the streets of Minneapolis, several prominent tech executives attended a private White House screening of Melania, a documentary being released ...

30 Tammi 31min

Minneapolis Misinformation; TikTok’s New Owners; Moltbot Hype

Minneapolis Misinformation; TikTok’s New Owners; Moltbot Hype

In today’s episode, Brian and Zoë are joined by WIRED’s Tim Marchman to discuss the news of the week — including how far-right influencers spread misinformation in Minneapolis, and why TikTok’s US ver...

29 Tammi 35min

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley! This week, WIRED’s Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new co-hosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been on the drama going down in...

22 Tammi 36min

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

BIG INTV: Wikipedia's Founder on Holding the Line in a Post Fact World

Katie sits down with Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales talks about what it means to build something used by billions of people that’s not optimized for growth at all costs. Jimmy reflected on Wikipedia’s ...

20 Tammi 58min

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

BIG INTV: Reid Hoffman Wants Silicon Valley to ‘Stand Up’

The LinkedIn cofounder and frequent Trump target, Reid Hoffman has a simple message for his peers: “Just speak up about the things that you think are true.”Join WIRED’s best and brightest on Uncanny V...

13 Tammi 51min