We have to fix social media to save democracy After the dirty elections in the UK, I couldn’t stop thinking about the effects of social media on democracy. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram turned so much communication into public performance that provides fuel for anyone who wants to start a fire. You have to wonder how many voters actually are affected by political public performances. I think that journalism in particular overestimates this. Nonetheless, by carefully examining the incentives of social media platforms, the authors provide an interesting thought on why and how we have to fix our internet to save our democracy. (Reinier, data journalist) The Atlantic: The dark psychology of social networks (reading time: 14 minutes)
Forget bricks or barbed wire. The real wall preventing migration is built of paperwork and lawyers Trump has been in power for almost three years now and not a single brick has been placed on the wall he talked so much about. You know, the one on the US southern border that will reduce migration from Mexico. But as this article explains, Trump erected a bureaucratic wall in those three years that is many times more effective than a physical wall could ever be. It makes migration more difficult, not only for Mexicans but for everyone. So much for "a nation of immigrants". This piece takes us through the history of US immigration laws, exposing how unprecedented current developments are. A wonderful piece of journalism that had me on the edge of my seat as it brought me behind the scenes of "the real wall". (Maite, Migration correspondent) Huffington Post: Trump got his wall, after all (reading time: 25 minutes)
Looking for a way to overcome the climate blues The environmental writer Glenn Albrecht coined the term "solastalgia" to describe a kind of environmental grief he observed in people whose living environment was irredeemably lost to mine development. Solastalgia captures the relation between environmental and psychological distress. This urgent personal story describes climate activist Chris Foster’s "journey through environmental despair". Foster showed symptoms of ecological trauma long before phrases such as "eco-anxiety" and "climate guilt" became common. What struck me most is Foster’s acute suffering and deeply felt responsibility as he witnesses environmental collapse around him against the backdrop of a society that seems so oddly unaffected. The realisation that our daily choices are directly responsible for the misery of our fellow humans elsewhere – not to mention generations to come – requires the kind of temporary denial that most of us are casually capable of. Finding new words to describe these complicated feelings may be one way to help bridge the gap between those who feel too much and those who feel too little. (Carmen, member support manager) The Believer: Under the weather (reading time: 20 minutes)

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