Social media is being rebuilt from the ground up. Instead of reinforcing echo chambers through centralized algorithms, emerging federated platforms like Bluesky aim to create more user-centric, customizable, and humane spaces for online interaction. Join us for "Beyond the Algorithmic Feed," a MediaEd Club conversation exploring the architecture and ethics of decentralized social networks. Before attending our webinar, we recommend listening to the podcast “Creating an Atmosphere of Possibility” featuring Bluesky’s Paul Frazee. This conversation led by Mike McCue of FlipBoard and the DotSocial podcast series, can help us dive into how protocols like AT Protocol differ from ActivityPub and how identity portability might shift power online. In our webinar discussion, we'll focus on how we as educators can apply these ideas to better understand the platforms shaping our digital civic lives, and how these might be reinvented to shape a more humane and civil culture of respectful dialog, as opposed to rampant "rage bait" and vitriol. We’ll connect these ideas to broader questions about media literacy, digital citizenship, and the future of online discourse—including the lens of Ethan Zuckerman’s research and podcast series, Reimagining the Internet.
Date: Monday, June 2, 2025
Time: 12 pm EST | 6 pm CET | 10:30 pm ISTÂ
LOCATION: Register here for the webinar series.
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Required Media
Podcast: Creating an Atmosphere of Possibility, with Bluesky’s Paul Frazee (Dot Social by Mike McCue - 55 min)
Video: The Fediverse - Explained by Common Craft (3.5 min)
Optional Media
Podcast: Is there hope for democracy in a social media-driven world? Nathan Schneider sees it every day (2 April 2025, Ep 110 of Reimagining the Internet)
Podcast Series: Reimagining the Internet hosted by Ethan Zuckerman
Video: Protocols, Not Platforms with Mike Masnick | DWeb Decoded (55 min)
Article: “Social media is polluting society. Moderation alone won’t fix the problem” (MIT Tech Review, 9 August 2022)
Host: Dr. Wesley FryerÂ
Wesley Fryer, PhD, is a middle school STEM and media literacy middle school teacher at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. As an educational technology “early adopter / innovator” since the late 1990s, Wes shares a variety of resources on social media platforms including BlueSky, Mastodon, YouTube, Linked In, Facebook, TikTok, etc. Learn more about him on wesfryer.com/bio. Watch one of his TEDx talks (or another presentation) via this YouTube playlist.
Please get in touch with us if you want to suggest future Media Club meeting topics to discuss an article, book, podcast, video or any media related to our interests.
Dr. Wes Fryer, Webinar Series Manager |Â wes.fryer@providenceday.org Â