Hi!

I tend to have low expectations for politicians in general, but I was gobsmacked by the sheer stupidity displayed by US Congress in questioning TikTok CEO, Shou Chew. I think I physically recoiled at the absurd lack of knowledge displayed by the very people responsible for legislating this topic. It is very clear that most of the people holding positions of power had zero idea how Tiktok works, nor social media, the internet, or technology in general. Furthermore, the unacceptable disrespect, micro-aggressions, and racism that Shou was subjected to was enraging. In response, Shou was calm, collected and prepared.

The US government is considering banning Tiktok, under the pretense of national security (questionable), and the damages to physical and mental health, and the amount of wasted time spent on the app. Ok, fair, but have you been on Twitter lately? Or Instagram? Or any other social network? Like at least make the argument make sense: if you're going to ban one platform based on this criteria, you should just ban them all.

I am not a Tiktok apologist. There are important data and algorithmic risks to consider and we should definitely be looking closely at regulations and policies that protect consumer privacy, data, and mental well-being. We should be demanding better data transparency. We should be researching the impact on teens and kids. But you can't single out Tiktok and not every other social media company at the same time.

How can anyone take this farce of a hearing seriously when Congress has turned a blind eye to Meta doing far worse? (Hello? The Jan 6 Insurrection anyone??) Meta has shared data with the Chinese government since 2018. There have been data breaches concerning millions of users. They have admitted that their algorithms manipulate and radicalize people. They have sold our data to advertisers. They have let foreign governments interfere in elections. I'm not singling them out: drug cartels are thriving on Twitter. Instagram decimates self-esteem. Snapchat is a hot bed for bullying. YouTube is indoctrinating Incels and Trump supporters. ​

As for the national security threats, experts agree that there are risks but they have been overblown. To be honest, I agree with banning them from Government-issued devices and certain work phones. But I would say the same thing for Facebook and other social networks too. Sure, Tiktok could be used to spy and manipulate public perception, but aren't governments already doing this on Meta and Twitter right now? Welcome to the age of digital diplomatic warfare.

It just seems mighty convenient that right after Mark Zuckerberg starts throwing lobbying money at politicians and hires a GOP firm to launch a nation-wide smear campaign against Tiktok, that suddenly politicians from both parties are aligned on this ban.

It must be a coincidence that Meta's growing irrelevance, inability in producing a viable "metaverse" product, and failing to recreate the magic of Tiktok would be factor in how politicians -- who happen to own Meta stock -- would suddenly be convinced the ban is the only way forward, right? This is about...protecting the children, and not financial interests, right? Right.

Things to Think About:

The Narrative Wars:

The difference in coverage between mainstream media and online content reflects two distinct realities. AP News had an article titled "TikTok CEO grilled by skeptical lawmakers on safety, content."

Grilled him? More like made fools of themselves.

​"Does Tiktok access the home Wifi network?"

What?

Meanwhile, the narrative online was very different. People were savagely trolling congress and creating fan edits of Chew.

My favorite clip was the congressman who wanted to know why TikTok kept showing him "dancing homosexuals" not seeming to realize the algorithm just gives you more of what you're already watching. Bro just told on himself.

There has been a big push to protest this ban and it seems to be turning into a en election hot-topic. I guess we're about to find out what happens when you piss 150 million tech-savvy Americans off by threatening to take away their favorite app.

Generational Wars:

Tiktok is a big part of Gen-Z's digital life and many of them (and us older millennials) have built communities, businesses and friendships on the app. No one wants to see it banned.

This generation is already losing patience with lawmakers over a lack of gun-control legislation, not doing enough to address climate change, and the roll back on women's rights. Remember, Gen-Z is credited as stopping the projected "Red Wave" during the midterms. Now that ire is expanding to democrats too.

This next election cycle is going to be spicy AF!

The People's War:

Tiktok has changed the way we discuss and share information online. Unlike other social media apps, Tiktok's algorithm shows you content from people you don't follow, creating loose algorithmic communities that facilitate the exchange of ideas. For example, I follow a ton of independent journalists on Tiktok who are covering topics that aren't getting the same amount of coverage elsewhere, such as the train derailment in Ohio, protests in Iran, and the latest in corporate email leaks.

I wonder how much of this "ban" is aimed at shutting down a powerful mechanism for people to share information and mobilize. With states banning books, preventing girls from talking about their periods, cutting Feminist Studies and African American Studies from curriculums, and policing what bathrooms people use, I can understand why Tiktok poses such a threat. It's been terrifying to witness this slow and deliberate erosion take place in front of our eyes. The biography of Rose Parks is now "too woke" for some American classrooms. Horrifying.

You Can't Stop This.

If the ban does go through, there will be ways to access the app. There is already talk of another app (Clapper) that will take its place, driven by the expectation of how we want to be connected to each other. You can't stop this technology roll out anymore.

I remember during the protests in Turkey when the government tried to shut down Twitter but people quickly shared information on how to circumvent the bans, including spray painting the necessary information on walls in cities across the country.

If I was China, I would be cackling at the irony of a Singaporean CEO educating American policymakers about the first amendment. It seems, if the chatter online is any indication, that many people watching the hearings have realized the biggest threat to democracy and free speech was their own government.

From the Web:

• I resonated with Evan Armstrong's essay "In Defense of the Unoptimized Life," advocating creating space to be inspired. This pairs very well with Jia Tolentino's 2019 long-read "Athleisure, Barre, and Kale: The Tyranny of the ideal woman." Both explore the obsession we have developed with "optimizing" every area of our life in pursuit of hyper-productivity. I believe in optimizing my life FOR creating periods of free time, as opposed to making sure every minute of the day is "productive."

• In her 2021 paper, Ysabel Gerrard documented the disdain with which female fans (of anything) are treated. Anytime groups of women express excitement about something (bands, books, hobbies) it's always categorized as lame and somehow inferior to male fandoms. So, consider me totally unsurprised to read Barry Pierce's eye-rolling criticism of BookTok. He doesn't like the community's aesthetic (color coded book shelves), their joy in annotating books, and their audacity of celebrating being readers. BookTok is a predominantly female space, with women sharing books for other women including genres like romance, erotica, fantasy, young adult, and more. Barry prides himself on reading Classics, not that stupid stuff written for girls! Ew! It's fine not to like something, but can you just let people who aren't hurting anyone enjoy their hobbies? Oh, Barry's response to the criticisms of his piece? Calling all BookTok "huge virgins." What an arbiter of culture.

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Foushy Updates:

Currently:

I'm in Pittsburgh next week speaking at Carnegie Mellon. I've been spending a lot of time rethinking my business and writing strategy in light of all the ChatGPT advancements. I think all knowledge workers should be following these developments closely. One of my biggest changes is doubling my research and thinking time, which is changing my goals for the rest of the year. You know what they say, evolve or die.

Up next: writing & more writing!

​Thanks to the breakthrough I had last week, the words have just been pouring out of me at an absolutely bonkers rate. It's like the words were just waiting for me to get out of my own way.

I'm almost done the first draft of Humane Productivity. I've learned that sometimes you have to give ideas enough time to marinate. I needed the time for a few things to solidify and now I'm flying through the writing. Despite this being my fifth book, I still can't seem to blindly trust the process. I'm working on it. No more rushing, just letting things take their own time.

I'm done (!!!!!) the fast draft of Dragon Bond, an urban-fantasy romance between a teleporting assassin and an exiled telekinetic warrior monk set in an alternate universe with Dragon Gods, black magic syndicates, and more. It's a series, so I'll put the fast draft aside for a while, start plotting book two in detail, and then go back and do a revised first draft.

I've also been toying with a grief-memoir that documents my experiences with somatic and complex grief between 2020 and 2022. The past two years have been such an eye-opening struggle but also the catalyst to some profound healing. I have about half a manuscript I think. Not sure what I'll do with this one, yet. I'll keep you posted!