Social Media – how social are they still? Algorithms, reach, attention, and language – to whom does our communication belong?

About this video

Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and other platforms refer to themselves as “social media.” But how social are these networks actually still?

People are supposed to communicate with each other and network – at the same time, algorithms increasingly decide which content becomes visible, which people reach each other, and which posts remain almost invisible.

Why is reach limited? Why do automated systems decide about contacts and recommendations? Why is it becoming increasingly difficult to reach people directly? And why do users spend more and more time adapting to the requirements of individual platforms?

In this OKiTALK broadcast, Klaus Glatzel deals with his own experiences from many years of international media work – but also with the fundamental question:

Who actually owns our communication – the people or the platforms?

This involves, among other things, algorithms and reach, freedom of expression and moderation, data protection, the increasing concentration on short videos and fast consumption, as well as the effects of digital communication on attention, language, and social exchange.

But criticism alone is not enough.

We therefore also want to ask:

What should a truly social network look like?

A network where people can again decide more strongly for themselves what they see, with whom they communicate, and which content they reach. A network with understandable rules, more transparency, genuine communication, and less dependence on opaque algorithms.

OKiTALK is also addressing the question of what new forms of a decentralized, international, and people-oriented media landscape we can develop together.

Critically question. Discuss openly. Find solutions.