Episode 15: Ethan Zuckerman on Why the Internet Is a Less Creative Place

Episode 15

7th December 2016

This week Adam talks to Ethan Zuckerman from the esteemed MIT Media Lab. Ethan appeared on Adam Ruins the Internet and the two of them discuss why the internet is a less creative place than it used to be.

Episode notes

While you’re using the internet to stream this podcast, Adam and this week’s guest Ethan Zuckerman are talking about how we’re ruining the Internet. Things are getting meta here. Ethan, who appeared on Adam Ruins the Internet, has studied the internet and its affects for years. He’s currently the Director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT and an Associate Professor at the MIT Media Lab. His research focuses on the distribution of attention in mainstream and new media, the use of technology for international development, and the use of new media technologies by activists.

On the podcast, Adam and Ethan discuss how people are the products of free services like Facebook and Google, not the consumers. They also go into Ethan’s early days working at Tripod where he invented the pop-up ad, and why we need more weirdness like the hamster dance on the internet.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.
Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.org.

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First, on the Adam Ruins Everything TV show, Adam Conover broke down widespread misconceptions about everything we take for granted. Now, join Adam as he sits down with the experts and stars from the show to go into even more detail.

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