The Shame Machine
On the mining of our insecurities, the optimization of shame, and social media cycles of curated self-diminishment.
Jesse Lawson
Anti-disinformation writer & social technology engineer at the intersection of technology, social media, politics, and public policy.
Website
California
Why "Legacy Media" is Effective Propaganda
It's because "Legacy Media" is the new "Fake News."
On Algorithmic Suffering
How digital spaces amplify both connection and alienation through algorithmic mediation—and what that reveals about our inherited patterns of belonging.
Agency and Context Collapse on TikTok
It's been about a month away from the platform for me, and I've been reflecting on what it feels like to see it from another angle.
BlueSky's Tradeoffs: Privacy, Centralization, and Protocol Design Decisions
A look at the real-world implications of 'decentralized' social technology.
Is BlueSky really an echo chamber?
Or are some people just uncomfortable with respecting boundaries?
Russia's 21st Century Warfare on our 18th Century Election System
Trump has exposed a critical design flaw in our 18th century election system: since corporate social media has pulled our country into rhetorical echo chambers, surgically targeted disinformation can determine the outcome of an election.
Four Reasons to Ignore Election Polls
Plus an election polling simulator for you to play with online.