The Social Emotional Web

TL;DR

The paper discusses the evolution of the social web into a social emotional web, highlighting its potential benefits and vulnerabilities, and emphasizes the need for policies to mitigate risks while enhancing human connection.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of the social emotional web, analyzing its implications, opportunities, and challenges for human interaction and societal well-being.

Findings

The social emotional web enables deeper emotional sharing.

It increases risks of social manipulation and misinformation.

Policy development is crucial for safe adoption.

Abstract

The social web has linked people on a global scale, transforming how we communicate and interact. The massive interconnectedness has created new vulnerabilities in the form of social manipulation and misinformation. As the social web matures, we are entering a new phase, where people share their private feelings and emotions. This so-called social emotional web creates new opportunities for human flourishing, but also exposes new vulnerabilities. To reap the benefits of the social emotional web, and reduce potential harms, we must anticipate how it will evolve and create policies that minimize risks.