Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced that the platform will start hiding “likes” for some U.S. users starting this week. This is an extension of a rolling test in seven countries around the world over the last several months. This is the moment that Mosseri shared the news. As you can hear from the audience reaction, it’s unclear how the market is going to react.https://twitter.com/WIRED/status/1192962986224128005 At face value, the move is commendable. Hiding likes is aimed at helping Instagram become “the…
The End of Traditional Marketing and the Beginning of What’s Next
Congratulations to Carlos Gil on the release of his new book, “The End of Marketing: Humanizing your brand in the age of social media.” Carlos is a long-time friend and I was genuinely appreciative when he asked me to write the foreword for his first book. All I asked was that I could share the foreword with you upon the book’s release. I hope it helps you! This is the end of what was and the beginning of what’s next…
Your Online Behavior Funds a Social Currency and Creates a Digital Credit Score
The Black Mirror “Nosedive” episode is a very real depiction of a possible future of our digital and physical worlds. In fact, there are semblances of it forming in China right now. How you use social media can be collected into a social credit score. Your rating on Uber or Lyft aren’t the only systems tracking your digital behavior and transactions. What you create and curate, what you do, what you say, what you don’t say, who you know, can…
The Evolving Social Construct of Modern Social Businesses
This article is from my unpublished archives. It does no good sitting there, so I’ve decided to publish it after all these years. Today, businesses are actively seeking the fountain of youth to stay relevant in these evolving times. The more ambitious leaders, are also seeking the fountain of truth to connect with evolving societal norms and values. Digital strategists believe that new technologies combined with transparency and authenticity reveal the way forward. And, it does, to some extent. But…
There Isn’t an App for That: The Formula for Productivity, Happiness and Creativity Starts Within
We didn’t lose our ability to focus or be creative, we were programmed away from it, toward a direction where our attention is heavily monetized. It’s by design. The challenge is two fold. For those who remember life before smartphones and social media, memories serve as a benchmark for comparison. We tend to remember our analog lives and activities with a sense of nostalgia and also disbelief. After all, we’ve since learned to become digital-first in most things we do…
Social Media is a Human Network: We Have the Power of Choice in What We Consume, What We Share and Who We Engage
The good thing about social media, is that it gave us a voice. The bad thing about it, is that it gave us a voice. The path to saving it, making it valuable to not only ourselves, but for society at large, is in our control. The question is, what are you going to do differently moving forward? They say hindsight is 20/20. At some point, we will look at everything, recognize our missteps and ask, “why didn’t we see…
![Ask Me Anything: A Very Personal Reddit AMA to Celebrate the Release of Lifescale [Full Transcript]](https://briansolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/58383328_10156469766012887_7220431170989719552_n.jpg)
Ask Me Anything: A Very Personal Reddit AMA to Celebrate the Release of Lifescale [Full Transcript]
It’s been years since I last hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit. With the release of Lifescale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive and Happy Life, it was time to change that. On May 2nd 2019, I took to Reddit once again for the first in a two-part series. The first part is here if you’d like to ask your question on the official AMA page. I also included the conversation as of May 5th to share…
The Content Moderation Imperative: How AI and Humans Will Make Social Media and Gaming Better for the World
I had the privilege of participating in an important conversation about the state and future of social media and gaming and the need to protect users from harmful content and engagement. Joining me in that conversation was Chris Priebe, CEO & founder of Two Hat Security and Stewart Rogers of VentureBeat. You can listen to it (and I encourage you to do so) here. Leading up to the discussion, I spoke with VentureBeat on the subject and the critical need for intelligent…
Is Social Media and Gaming Safe? Why Intelligent Content Moderation is the Next Competitive Advantage
I have two small children who, from time-to-time, get to watch YouTube Kids. Even with all of the filters and safety triggers engaged, there are still ways in which those with sinister intent can introduce dangerous content packaged in seemingly harmless videos. Recently, children all over the world were subjected to their favorite Disney characters behaving poorly and in some cases, dangerously, in what’s now referred to as “Elsagate” on YouTube. In February 2019, kids were also trolled by evildoers…
The Past, Present and Future of Social Media
A big part of my work as a digital analyst and anthropologist is to track emerging and disruptive technology trends and study their impact on business and society. In the early 2000s, much of that work was focused on what was Web 2.0, collaboration (office 2.0) and the rise of social media. It was a very special time in my career. I had the good fortune to be in the center of a very important shift in technology and culture….
