Elon Musk, Social Media Influence, & the Future of Political Discourse

"Live Players" with Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the impact of social media platforms like Twitter, now X, especially under Elon Musk's ownership. They explore the changing political landscape, the dynamics of media personalities, and the evolving role of social media in shaping public discourse and political behavior.

—

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

—

SPONSORS:

🤲🏼 GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. (Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to support our show.)

📑 Discover Carta, the innovative end-to-end accounting platform revolutionizing private fund management with streamlined operations and on-demand insights. Experience the new standard at carta.com/investors.

—

LINKS:

Book: Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal: https://www.amazon.com/Hatching-Twitter-Story-Friendship-Betrayal/dp/1591847087

Google Paper: Attention Is All You Need: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf

Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

—

X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg

@samoburja

@turpentinemedia

—

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

• Peter Thiel's thoughts have significantly influenced tech philosophy.
• Twitter's evolution reflects broader societal changes in communication.
• Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter highlights the power of individual influence.
• Political polarization is exacerbated by social media dynamics.
• The future of politics may hinge on personal branding and media personalities.
• Censorship in the digital age poses challenges to free speech.
• Corporate culture increasingly intersects with political beliefs.
• Social media platforms are arenas for elite discourse.
• The First Amendment plays a crucial role in protecting online expression.
• Political rebranding is becoming more common in the social media landscape. There's a desire to open the digital frontier.
• Cultural attitudes towards technology have shifted over the years.
• Europe's aging population affects its political dynamism.
• The political economy in Europe is in need of reform.
• American innovation is often stifled by older generations' preferences.
• The left struggles to find its voice in a right-dominated media landscape.
• Emerging left-wing voices may arise from unexpected places.
• Generational shifts will influence political and cultural dynamics.
• The digital age allows for new forms of activism and expression.
• The future of left-wing culture may depend on new, charismatic leaders.